


Episode 2-07 - "Family Matters"

by stgjr



Series: Undiscovered Frontier Season 2 - "Whispers of Destiny" [7]
Category: Mass Effect, Original Work, The Pretender (TV)
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Multiple Crossovers, Multiverse, Space Opera
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-11-07 18:32:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 40,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11064726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stgjr/pseuds/stgjr
Summary: Jarod faces the Centre for the future of his family.





	1. Chapter 1

**Teaser**  
  
The planet of New Liberty continued its quiet orbit outside the window of Robert's bridge office. He stood nearby, in the black-and-command-red-trim uniform of the Alliance Navy, breathing in a sigh at the sight. New Liberty, once, had not even been a speck on the planet surface. But now he could make out the gray splotch of city, and if his vision was a bit stronger, perhaps he'd even make out the fields surrounding the city where the Colony's staples were grown.  
  
The thought occurred to him of one day retiring here and founding a new Dale family farm. Although Angel was, by her own repeated admission, not the type to be a farmhouse wife, he could almost imagine them in a home like his family's, kids playing in the fields as they grew old together.  
  
Thinking of Angel in that way felt weird. Their relationship had always floundered on one rock or another, and it was certainly rocky right now. But it wasn't like he had anyone else to think about that way?  
  
Except, of course, for that memory of the eagerly-shared kiss after a thrilling escape and a tumble down a collapsing hill. The pain in his ribs, the feeling of dirt and sweat mingling, the jubilant look on Julia's face before and after they shared that kiss...  
  
The thoughts and dreams might have become a confusing, hopeless muddle if not for the interruption when his door chime went off. "Come in," he called out, and turned in time to see Julia enter with her uniform on. "I thought I had you on leave for another two days?", he asked with a wry look.  
  
"Technically, you do. Technically, I'm not handing you the last shift's reports," she said. An amused grin crossed her face. "Technically this sprouted wings and flew to you."  
  
"Ah, technically, that sounds interesting," he replied, chuckling and taking the datapad. "So how are you going to enjoy your remaining leave-time?"  
  
"I'm going to tour the Colony again," she replied. "Seeing it with Zack and the others made me realize how much it had changed. I can barely find my way around it now."  
  
"It's a booming city now," Robert agreed. "And it makes you think, doesn't it?"  
  
"About how we started it? Yeah." she nodded. "Of course, that's what this anniversary is all about, isn't it?"  
  
He nodded quietly. "Well, I don't want to…"  
  
Before he could finish, there was a tone at his desk to say they had an incoming communication. He pressed the button to open the comm line. "This is Captain Dale," he said.  
  
The person on the other end was Jupap. " _Sir, Colony Security is hailing us._ "  
  
"What for?", he asked.  
  
" _They say something happened in the Medical Plaza. It… it involves Commander Jarod._ "  
  
Robert and Julia exchanged worried looks.  
  
  
  
  
The transporter that brought Jarod and his captors to what looked like the inside of a ship was an Alliance model transporter. Which did not narrow down the suspects as well as he might hope, unfortunately, as the subspace tunnelling-style transporter was becoming more and more widespread with every passing month.  
  
The room was full of chairs. One had been prearranged with restraint cuffs built into the arm. Jarod was forced into the chair and restrained with those cuffs by two of his attackers while Miss Parker watched.  
  
"He is still determining how to escape," said the golden-eyed man. "Give me ten minutes with him and I will crush his spirit."  
  
"Jarod's been conditioned to resist torture and abuse," Miss Parker replied. "And the Centre wants him back intact. Which means I want him delivered intact."  
  
Jarod laughed at her. "Do you really think they're going to let you walk away?"  
  
"Oh, I'm sure they'd still like to make an example of me," she said. "But they'll be happy with having you back. Then they'll let my father go."  
  
"Do you really think he's still alive?" Jarod laughed harshly and shook his head. "You should know better."  
  
"I _know_ he's alive," answered Miss Parker. "And if they betray me…" She frowned at the thought, which she clearly wasn't letting herself think about. "That's why I hired these gentlemen. If the Centre kills him, or they try to double-cross me, I have the firepower to make them regret it." There was a cold look to Miss Parker's eyes as she inhaled another drag from her cigarette.  
  
One of Jarod's attackers, the Asian cyborg, left the room. "I would have helped you rescue your father," Jarod said. "If you'd asked."  
  
"Would you have, Jarod?" Miss Parker drew up a chair. She took another drag from her cigarette. "With everything my father was responsible for? What if it meant leaving your dear friends on the _Aurora_?"  
  
"I would have arranged something," he insisted.  
  
For several moments their eyes met, and it was clear Miss Parker was considering the sincerity of his words. During their silence, Jarod felt a steady acceleration through the ship and a sudden lurching feeling that surged and vanished. It was the familiar sensation of entering an interuniversal jump point.  
  
The door slid open again. The cyborg re-entered. His voice was calm when he reported, "Wolff just made the jump. It doesn't look like anyone was the wiser in orbit. We're home free."  
  
"Thank you, Kang." Miss Parker stood up. "Wilton, Y'tala, you'll have the first watch with him. Don't let Jarod out of your sight. In two hours I'll have you relieved."  
  
The Mi'qote woman and the short man in the room nodded.  
  
Miss Parker nodded to the man with the gold eyes, who nodded back and departed with Kang.  
  
"He's a corrupted Gersallian, isn't he?", Jarod asked.  
  
Miss Parker stopped and turned. "You mean he has the same weird magic that the Gersallians go on about? Yes, he does. And I'm paying him almost everything I have left after hiring the others."  
  
"You made a lot of money in a year as a 'security consultant'", he charged.  
  
Miss Parker smirked. "Well, as I told your friend Captain Dale last night… there's a dark side to his precious utopia. And I'm very good at finding things." She took another drag from her cigarette and blew out a puff of smoke. "Enjoy the ride, Jarod. We'll be back home soon enough."  
  
Without another word, she left, leaving Jarod alone with his guards.  
  


**Undiscovered Frontier  
_"Family Matters"_**

  
  
  
Robert and Julia were met by Sydney at the office building he used in the Medical Plaza. He was accompanied by two men, an African and someone with a tanned bronze complexion. Robert recognized the second man as Luis de Almerda, a Colombian policeman whom they'd found in a FARC camp back in the old days. He was in the uniform of the New Liberty Colony Security Service and was the chief of police for the entire colony. "What happened?"  
  
"Mister Okonwi can explain better," said Almerda.  
  
The African man nodded. When he spoke, the translation systems kicked in for Robert and Julia. "We detected an unscheduled transportation from the premises approximately thirty-eight minutes ago," Okonwi explained. "Officers were dispatched to the scene and found evidence of a struggle in Dr. Sydney's office. We also located the security guard unconscious in a backroom during our search of the premises."  
  
"This was a trap, then." Robert looked to Sydney. "Do you know anything of what happened here?"  
  
"I found a message from Jarod on my device," Sydney explained, "telling me he had almost arrived at the office. Going by the message he believed I had called to meet him here. But I never did."  
  
"Someone lured Commander Jarod into a trap with the false message. Someone aware that he would not be on guard," observed Almerda.  
  
Robert felt a sick feeling in his stomach. The suspect was not too hard to guess. "Miss Parker," he muttered.  
  
"It would make some sense, unfortunately." Sydney shook his head. "Miss Parker was upset in being brought here, and she worries about her father's fate with the Centre. She may have taken Jarod to try and save her father by exchanging him."  
  
"Given what Jarod's told us about these people, I doubt they'll cooperate that well." Robert sighed and clenched his hands into fists. He thought he could actually feel it, feel the emotions Jarod had felt as he was attacked with… overwhelming power?  
  
A cold trickle went up his spine.  
  
Julia noticed the change in his expression. "Are you okay?", she asked.  
  
He looked to her and shook his head. "I feel like there's something… wrong here. Something nasty."  
  
"You are correct."  
  
They all turned. Meridina was walking up to them, wearing the casual robes of her Order. "Commander Meridina," said Almerda. "Thank you for coming."  
  
"You are most welcome. I came as quickly as I could." Meridina looked over the building. "I feel the lingering power even here." A look of deep worry came to her face. "One of the attackers was a _swevyra'kse_."  
  
The term had the familiar root word in Gersallian for Robert's growing knowledge of that language. But he'd never heard of this term before. "A what?"  
  
"A wielder of power from _swevyra_ who has fallen into darkness." Meridina shuddered. "This is what Amaunet turned into when she had control of my body."  
  
"I thought someone like that would be little better than an out-of-control psychopathic killer?", Robert asked.  
  
"That is the eventual end of them all. But some resist quite well, sometimes for years. They are capable of cunning and planning. Some may serve as mercenaries, others put their efforts into growing a personal power base.' Meridina shook her head. "They are not to be underestimated."  
  
"Dammit," Robert breathed. He looked to Almerda. "I can assign officers to assist the investigation, if you'd like."  
  
Almerda nodded and understood. "Of course."  
  
Robert looked to Julia. "I know you're on leave…"  
  
"I'll direct things from here," she said. "We'll look through Miss Parker's things and see if we can find a clue on what her plans are."  
  
"I shall stay and assist," Meridina pledged.  
  
"Keep me informed." Robert sighed. "I'm going to file the official report on what happened."  
  
  
  
  
When Robert returned to his quarters, he found Angel waiting for him. And he could feel the angry tension building up within her. "Whatever happens, I want to go," Angel insisted.  
  
"I doubt we'll be launching the rescue mission," Robert said. "I'm not even sure what will happen. The Earth of A4P5 is still on the 'no contact' list."  
  
"We can't just let her get away with this!" Angel clenched her fists. "Dammit, I knew that… that _bitch_ would do something like this. I could see it in her eyes when I saw her the last time."  
  
Robert stopped beside his desk and turned. "What do you mean?"  
  
"After Jarod found her a place to live, he visited her. I went with him." Angel frowned. Her fists were clenching and unclenching over and over. She desperately wanted to hit something. "I even told her that if she did something to Jarod I'd kill her."  
  
Robert sighed. "You would," he noted.  
  
"I want on the mission, Rob," Angel said. "Let me join Julia and Meridina."  
  
"Angel, I don't think I can justify that," he answered. "Two officers is a big enough commitment."  
  
"Dammit, I owe it to him…" Angel crossed her arms. "Rob, please, let me do this. I know people on New Liberty too. And maybe…"  
  
Robert plopped into his desk chair. "Angel… give me a moment."  
  
While she stewed, he thought on it. More accurately, he focused on it, trying to sense what the best course of action was. Whether or not Angel would be needed, if it was best to send her. Hearing her heart beating and his own, hearing the thumps as she paced around his room, was distracting.  
  
Whatever the future was, it wasn't something he could sense. Not this time. He had only his own instinct on the situation, versus the part in his head that said Julia and Meridina were enough for the job.  
  
But his heart said otherwise. Robert sympathized with Angel's sense of responsibility for what happened with Jarod. And what was the harm in giving Julia and Meridina some backup? They weren't going anywhere. So he nodded. "They're probably at Colony Security, going over Miss Parker's things."  
  
A look of relief came to her face. "Thank you," she said. "I'll beam down immediately."  
  
"If they have anything they need computer help with, don't hesitate to call Cat and Lucy," Robert added.  
  
"Of course not." Angel leaned over the side of the desk and gave him a kiss on the lips, which he returned. When their kiss ended after a few seconds, she smiled and said, "We'll find him, don't worry."  
  
"I won't," he promised, and then he watched quietly and with some contemplation on his choice while Angel picked up her bag and went to the door.  
  
  
  
  
With nothing much to do and little hope of escape for the moment, Jarod looked at his surroundings. His place of confinement had evidently been built to be the dining area of a vessel. It had been stripped to be turned into his prison, but he could make out the remaining floor braces for heavy kitchen equipment.  
  
As for his captors, one was the the red-furred-and-haired Mi'qote woman with a number of different guns on her main belt and on bands around her upper legs to hold more guns. The Human man beside her was wearing a simple jumpsuit of dark gray and black, with his hair cut close to his head. Quiet, calculating amber eyes were still intent upon Jarod.  
  
"You know I'm an Alliance officer, right?", Jarod asked.  
  
"What of it?", asked the Mi'qote. Y'tala was her name, presumably, given how Miss Parker had spoken. "I'll make my money and sod off to the Unaligned Worlds, same as always."  
  
Wilton, for his part, chuckled. "Pal, I know more boltholes and safe housessafehouses than you can imagine." He was speaking in English, but his accent was unique. "And on Solaris, I'm a drop in the bucket. I do this job and it's back to business as usual for me."  
  
"Are you really so certain of that?", Jarod asked them. "Because if you're…"  
  
He was interrupted by an explosion of pain. Wilton's fist smashed into Jarod's face. It didn't cause much in the way of damage to his body, but it still hurt. "Shut it or I'll get the tape," Wilton declared.  
  
Jarod glared at him and gave no other reply.  
  
  
  
  
For most of the Colony, the fall of night had merely heralded the second great run of celebrations, with grand fireworks to be seen and enjoyed by all.  
  
In the Security Headquarters, there was no celebratory mood. It was widely known that Jarod had been one of the "Facility crew", he had been directly involved in rescuing many of the Colony's current citizens - including some of those now with Security - and his abduction rankled them.  
  
Almerda and Okonwi showed Julia, Angel, and Meridina into a meeting room. Bagged belongings were gathered, including personal datapads and a noteputer system. "We've queued the contents of Miss Parker's personal data systems," said Okonwi. With a tap of a button he brought them up.  
  
After several minutes of looking, Julia shook her head. "This all looks legitimate," she said. "Notes and observations on the cases she was helping Security with."  
  
"Perhaps she did not commit any of her plans to electronic data format," mused Meridina. "Although it is interesting how often she accessed the suspicious characters list."  
  
"'Suspicious characters list'?", Angel asked.  
  
"Under Council order, we keep a list of individuals who have come to our attention, either by direct observation, by report from the populace, or reports by other government agencies," explained Almerda. "It gives us a place to start in some investigations."  
  
Okonwi added, "We do not do pre-emptive arrests either."  
  
"I would hope not," murmured Angel.  
  
Julia ignored that comment and continued. "Well, we know she was looking for someone to work with. Maybe she hired people from the list?"  
  
"The issue will be finding out which ones. There are probably dozens, maybe even hundreds, of listed persons that she could have approached." Almerda drew in an irritated sigh. "We'll do what we can, of course."  
  
"Of course." Julia nodded to him and hoped he understood how much his efforts were appreciated.  
  
"I'd like to know if there's a way Miss Parker was in touch with the Centre." Angel looked over one of the noteputers. "I mean, would she go to all of this trouble without having any guarantees?"  
  
"If her goal was to recover her father, perhaps she was willing to take that risk." Meridina looked over another of the noteputers. "We should try to track any vessel they departed on."  
  
"There have been ships coming and going all day," Almerda said. "I will confirm with Traffic Control."  
  
While Meridina and Julia were discussing that with Almerda, Angel was looking over the rest of the evidence. Further along the table, apart from the things found in Miss Parker's home and office, were a few more evidence bags. She looked them over. Most were debris from Jarod's abduction.  
  
But one…  
  
Angel looked to Okonwi, standing nearby. She held up the bag. "You found this on the scene?"  
  
Okonwi looked at her and at the bag. "Yes," he said. "The ash could have come from a number of things."  
  
"Like a cigarette?"  
  
Okonwi considered that. "Possibly."  
  
Angel opened up the baggie and took a sniff. "I recognize this smell," she said.  
  
"You are an expert on cigarette ash?"  
  
"No." Angel shook her head. "But I've smelled it before. Back in the Facility days. Enough that I'll never forget the damned stuff" She looked to Julia and Meridina, who were noticing the conversation now. She offered it to Julia. "Remember?"  
  
Julia took it and sniffed. A frown came to her face. "I think I do."  
  
"It's Cuban," Angel said. "The cigarette was made with Cuban tobacco."  
  
"From which universe, though?", asked Meridina. "Presumably you are looking for a link we can follow from this fact."  
  
"Do we know what Miss Parker's expenditures were like?", Angel asked. "Did she import anything from outside of our universe?"  
  
"I'm not seeing it on these records. But she might have made receipts private."  
  
Angel looked at the ash again. An idea percolated into her head, based off old memories. "Julia, I have an idea," she said softly, softly and lowly that Okonwi couldn't hear from where he was. "I think I know where Miss Parker got her cigarettes."  
  
"Oh? Almerda can probably…"  
  
"No," Angel said. "If we go in with Security, they won't cooperate. But if it's who I think it is, he might just talk to us, personally, without the law involved. But we'll have to go in as civilians, and without our multidevices and sidearms. He won't talk to us if everyone sees we've got Stellar Navy-issue tech."  
  
"A lot of people here would recognize us anyway."  
  
"Not if we go in carefully, without calling attention to ourselves."  
  
"And I can attempt to mentally dissuade recognition," Meridina offered.  
  
Julia frowned pensively over that, They were supposed to be helping Okonwi and Almerda, not hiding things from them. And without their multidevices they had no means of communicating with the _Aurora_ for emergencies. The _Aurora_ wouldn't even be able to track them.  
  
But there was an earnestness in Angel's hazel eyes that Julia couldn't ignore. If it helped them find Jarod faster, they should do it.  
  
"Okay," Julia said. "We'll follow you on this."  
  
  
  
  
Robert couldn't sleep. Not from nightmares, just from general nervousness and worry and a sense of frustration. Jarod was effectively a member of the family, he had saved their lives, and he had been taken by the same people that Robert and the others swore would never have a chance at him again.  
  
And as things stood, there wasn't a damn thing Robert could do about it. All he could do was hope Julia and the others could find out something they could use to help get Jarod back.  
  
"I shouldn't have laid down early," Robert muttered. He sat back up and crossed his legs. Meridina had shown him this meditative position and explained the value of using it to quiet his mind and self. By clearing his head, he could rest more easily, or be more in tune with the energy within him and its connection to everything else.  
  
The months of training had made it somewhat clear that he lacked the strengths Meridina and Lucy had with this. He wasn't sure he'd ever be capable of bringing a sword to a gunfight and winning. That mostly relieved him, but it did give him a tad bit of disappointment, of feeling inadequate. Meridina had counseled him not to concern himself with those feelings. "The power you wield is meant for you, whatever its comparison to others," she had insisted, and he had accepted.  
  
Gradually he felt like he might yet get to sleep… just to have the comms beep. Lt. Pacetti stated, " _Bridge to Captain Dale. Priority message from Admiral Maran._ "  
  
Robert answered immediately. "I'll get it right now." He went to his desk, put in his code, and accepted the incoming transmission. The dark-haired Gersallian admiral appeared on the screen. Robert thought he looked tense. "Admiral, sir, good to see you."  
  
" _The same, though we have little time for pleasantries. I received your report about Commander Jarod. We'll do what we can to locate him, I assure you. But right now we have another matter._ " Maran's expression was tense, and Robert could tell something big was going on. " _An opportunity has presented itself, Captain, one that we must seize. It may shorten the war._ "  
  
That made Robert pay attention. "Sir?"  
  
" _Ever since the attack on New Austria, the Reich has been dispersing its fleets carefully, ensuring it can respond quickly to another such attack by us_ ," explained Maran. " _This has hobbled them somewhat on the main fronts of the war, but it's prevented us from launching effective raids in their rear areas. But we now have a window of opportunity. The Reich's been forced to adjust after the recent fighting and in their shifting of assets, there will be a small time frame during which we can attack several facilities of strategic importance without risking a confrontation with large numbers of opposing ships. To exploit this attack to the fullest, we're throwing every available ship into the action. That includes your's._ "  
  
Robert swallowed and nodded. If Maran wasn't exaggerating, a large enough attack in Reich rear areas might completely disrupt their front lines. It _would_ shorten the war. "I understand, sir, we'll get underway by your order."  
  
" _You'll be making a rendezvous with the [i]Themistocles_ and her battle group[/i]," Maran said. " _They're gathering in Universe C5O2 as we speak. Coordinates are being transmitted on a subchannel. You must depart immediately, the window is closing steadily and we need literally every minute._ "  
  
"I understand, sir," Robert said. "I'll have our people beamed up from New Liberty immediately." He sighed. "Colony Security should still be able to do what they can for Jarod."  
  
" _I assure you, once this is over I will personally intervene with the President to get approval for his recovery, even if it means sending strike teams to his home Earth. But I need you at that rendezvous immediately, Captain. Command out._ " Maran's image was replaced by a copy of his office seal, a variant on the Presidential one that depicted the Alliance torch insignia on a shining shield.  
  
Robert triggered his comm unit. "Dale to Bridge. All hands to Code Yellow, call up all personnel from New Liberty."  
  
The junior officer didn't ask why. That was good, he wasn't supposed to. " _Ordering the Transporter Stations to begin now, sir_."  
  
"Take the coordinates Admiral Maran sent in the subchannel on his communication, we need to jump there as soon as the drive is spooled."  
  
" _Yes sir._ "  
  
Robert got dressed and replicated some coffee. He had a feeling he would be up for a while. With the coffee in hand he went to the bridge.  
  
When he arrived, Pacetti had vacated the command chair for Locarno, who had arrived before him. "What's going on?", Locarno asked.  
  
"Command's launching a special operation against enemy supply lines," he answered quickly. "We need to jump in the next few minutes just to make the rendezvous, and we have the orders for that. They need every ship." Robert got into his seat. "Have we gotten everyone back?"  
  
"Almost everyone." Locarno returned to the helm. "But the Transporter Stations haven't been able to lock onto Commander Andreys, Commander Meridina, or Lieutenant Delgado."  
  
Robert was confused by that. "What do you mean they can't lock onto them?"  
  
"Their multidevices have been removed," Locarno revealed. "I talked to Chief Almerda and he said they left to pursue a lead on Miss Parker's activities."  
  
"Dammit," Robert grumbled. As much as he wanted the investigation to continue, going into an operation like this without his XO or his Tactical Officer would not look very good, especially if things went wrong. "Is there any way we can track them?"  
  
"Without their multidevices to fix their locations?" At Sensors, Ensign al-Rashad shook her head. "We can't discern their life readings from any others, sir. There are dozens of Gersallians in the Colony."  
  
Robert looked at Locarno. "Lieutenant, we don't have time to wait for them to get in contact with us. For the duration of this operation, you're going to be acting XO."  
  
Locarno nodded. "I understand, sir."  
  
"Jump drive ready, Captain," added Jupap at Operations.  
  
"Jump."  
  
The _Aurora_ generated an interuniversal jump point and flew right into it.  
  
  
  
  
Julia and Meridina let Angel give the directions to the cab-driver, who took them from the center of the colony toward its outer fringe. The area they found themselves in was full of modest home and buildings, once storage for colony supplies and now turned into other enterprises.  
  
Angel's address was for one of the smallest of these former storage facilities, which had a sign out front in Spanish. "The Cut Throat?", Julia said, frowning. "Seriously?"  
  
"Seriously." Angel went to the door. "This is why I wanted us to ditch the uniforms."  
  
And indeed they had: Angel was in a brown jacket and green-and-white shirt with blue jeans, Julia had opted for a black leather jacket over a red blouse and black trousers. Meridina looked out of place in a matching jacket to Julia's, with a brown shirt underneath and blue pants to match the jacket.  
  
Inside there was a number of small groupings of beings, mostly favoring drinks and muttering quietly with each other. The place had the look of a real dive of a bar, grungy and barely hygienic, the kind of atmosphere Julia would have associated with a biker bar. A low end one.  
  
The man at the bar was heavy set, with a light brown complexion and dark hair. Light brown eyes looked at them with a mix of amusement and wariness. "Ah, my avenging angel," he said. "Come to see me again, eh?"  
  
Angel looked back to Meridina and Julia. "This is Hernan de Corelo. He remembers us more than we'd remember him. He was from our third move on the Cubans."  
  
" _Si_ , yes," Corelo agreed. "I was sweating and starving in that stinking prison until you sprung me."  
  
Angel smirked. "What he's not saying is that he wasn't a political dissident or someone in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was a black market dealer that the Cubans caught. And he's been putting his experience to work here on New Liberty."  
  
Meridina blinked. "And you know this because?"  
  
"Because two years ago, the Angry Angel here caught me selling," he answered for her. "Told me that if she caught me dealing drugs or weapons she'd tear my arms off and beat me to death with them. And she's one of the few I know who can do it."  
  
"So he learned, after siccing his thugs on me." Angel smiled sweetly. "They don't work thuggery anymore."  
  
"Just business, _amiga_ , just business. I only deal with adult customers, and no weapons or hard drugs."  
  
"I turned him into security, actually," Angel continued. "But Almerda cut him loose. The evidence was skimpy." She approached the bar and leaned over it. "And there were other considerations, weren't there Hernan?"  
  
He could see what she meant. "Since you're here on a special occasion, how about I take you to the back?" Hernan gestured toward a door. A moderately-stout man in a dark suit was standing there quietly.  
  
"It would appear that these kinds of establishments are transcendental among all cultures," Meridina mused philosophically, smiling thinly at Julia.  
  
Julia nodded wordlessly and looked around. She'd always figured there was a dark side to New Liberty, but to go diving into it made her nervous.  
  
Hernan led them to the back area. There were more tables, a larger bar with more liquors on them - including several bottles of bright blue liquid that could only be highly illegal Romulan ale - and a stage.  
  
"Is this a theater, then?"  
  
Hernan smirked back at Meridina. "Of a sort, yes."  
  
Julia was frowning at him. "A sex show. Something like that, right? Because you wouldn't be hiding a strip club."  
  
"That would depend, _Senorita_ ," Hernan said, slipping behind his bar. "Some of the people who live here, they are not very tolerant of the finer pleasures of life, you know? The law may say these things are fine, but they would make trouble. It's better to not make it too obvious, yes?" He looked over to Angel, who was remaining silent but still tense. "So, I hear there was an incident earlier this evening to mar our fine anniversary celebration. I'm betting you're here over that, yes?"  
  
"We are." Angel took a seat at the bar. "I know you've got contacts back home, on our Earth, Hernan. You've been selling Cubans?"  
  
"I have a modest market," he replied.  
  
"Was this woman one of your customers?" Angel held up a picture of Miss Parker.  
  
Hernan studied it. "Hrm. Maybe."  
  
Julia rolled her eyes. "This is when you pull out a roll of bills and start bribing him, isn't it? Jokes about helping him jog his memory?"  
  
Angel chuckled. She gave Hernan a knowing look. "Are we going to be cliche, Hernan?"  
  
"I am being serious," he insisted. "But I do believe I have seen her, yes. She came to me for business."  
  
"Cigarettes?"  
  
Hernan smirked. "Among other things. A very ambitious planner, that woman."  
  
"So we've learned." Julia frowned. "So what else did she want from you besides the means to give herself lung cancer?"  
  
"Contacts. Names. Business arrangements." Hernan smirked. "She knew about my arrangement with Chief Almerda. That _chica_ was cold as ice about it too. Would've ratted me out if I hadn't helped her at a bargain price."  
  
"With?", asked Meridina.  
  
"She was looking for people to hire," Hernan revealed. "And for information about the black market. To tell you the truth, I think she was using me to confirm things. I'm not the best in the Colony on these things, you see, but I've been doing it longer than most. The Mafia, the Bratva, the Orion Syndicate, they all have come through here and there, but I'm the one still here, and anyone who's anyone on this Colony comes here eventually."  
  
"So you're in with all the scumbags," Julia muttered.  
  
"A way of looking at it," Hernan said. "But I've kept my word. No drugs. No kids. No taking our people." He frowned. "Especially that. This is my home too, and nobody messes with my people, _comprende_? We take care of our own."  
  
At that, Angel put two and two together. "So you've been helping Miss Parker make good with Colony Security, feeding her intelligence to help them shut down the nastiest of the organizations and getting the rest to pony up for you and her to leave them alone." She put her arm on the bar. "Is that about right?"  
  
"Always nice to see you've got a brain with those muscles," Hernan replied. "A shame you're wastin' time on a ship, _amiga_ , there are people who would pay big money to see you punch people."  
  
"Heh. So, do you have any idea who she hired?"  
  
Hernan shook his head. "Not my thing. I directed her to some people. Offworlders from other universes."  
  
"And they would be?"  
  
"Bad people, _amiga_. They don't have arrangements with you either. You step into their places, you might not come back out."  
  
"We could get warrants," Julia suggested. "Go in with Colony Security."  
  
Hernan chuckled. "Yeah, and maybe someone in Security is earnin' some spare dinero from them, sends them a little message, you show up and they're gone. Sorry, but you ain't finding out anything from them that directly."  
  
Julia frowned at that. It shouldn't surprise her that even their colony would have corruption. But it rankled regardless.  
  
"I believe we have learned all we can," Meridina noted. "We should return to resume contact with the _Aurora_."  
  
Julia nodded in agreement. She looked to Angel, who slid off the stool. "Thank you, Hernan." She smiled thinly. "Want me to make it look good?"  
  
"I would rather not be punched by you again, Angry Angel," Hernan answered. "But if you ever want to punch people for money, let me know, I'll talk to the organizers."  
  
At that Angel smirked. She turned and followed the others out.  
  
None of them seemed to noticed the hooded, cloaked figure who followed them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jarod faces the Centre for the future of his family.

Jarod had nodded off slightly. When he awoke, his minders had changed. A massive reptilian alien, a Krogan, was now by the door. Nearby, reclining in a chair, was a young woman in a black catsuit that emphasized all of the attractive curves of her very attractive body. Auburn hair was pulled back on her head into a severe bun. At her side was a device that made Jarod think of a cattle prod.  
  
"I don't suppose I could get a bathroom break?", he asked.  
  
The Krogan growled.  
  
"Shush, my dear monster," said the young woman, her voice a lilting accent that Jarod couldn't quite place. She eyed Jarod with eyes that were inhumanly gold, much like the Gersallian from before. A mischievous smirk appeared on her face. "We don't all get what we want, Mister Jarod, or I would have you screaming and begging for mercy by now. Alas, my employer doesn't want you properly broken. I do so miss the chance for playtime, but I must be a professional about these things."  
  
There was a coldness in the air, similar to but not the same as the coldness that radiated from the Gersallian. Between that coldness and the eye color, Jarod could see he was dealing with another powered individual like Meridina and Lucy. "I don't place the accent."  
  
"You wouldn't. Nor would you place this one." The second line was spoken with another strange accent, more gutteral in its sounds. "If you must know, I'm from the universe you call S0T5." She grinned. "I am so enamored with the other universes. To think that Earth still exists in them. I really did quite enjoy the visit to one of the Earths." She frowned. "Alas, the constabulary proved most cross with me. I was only playing with the transients, they really should have thanked me."  
  
"And where are you from specifically?", Jarod asked. He thought back to the materials on S0T5 that he had read. It would explain her strange accents.  
  
"Hush, dear, I musn't tell you, or I would have to kill you in a most wretched manner, and I would thus wind up having to kill my employer. And that simply wouldn't do." She leaned back in her chair. "I suggest you go back to sleep, Mister Jarod. We shan't be much longer, I think."  
  
Jarod went silent. The time wasn't right yet, not with this woman present, nor her hulking Krogan friend. He would have to wait for his opportunity.  
  
  
  
  
  
It was when Julia and the others got back that they found out about the _Aurora_. "He left without us?", Julia asked, horrified. "Then… whatever's going on must be really time-sensitive. I knew we should have brought along our multidevices."  
  
"Hernan would have thrown us out," Angel noted. "Half the room would have recognized Stellar Navy devices."  
  
"And how many recognized us anyway because of who we are?", Julia retorted.  
  
Meridina shook her head. "I suspect Hernan would have been motivated more by those who would not have recognized you."  
  
Almerda sighed upon hearing Hernan's name, but waited until they were done before speaking. "I was wondering if that's who you were going to. If the man wasn't so damned cooperative…"  
  
Meridina, sensing Julia's aggravation, set a calming hand on her shoulder. "It cannot be helped."  
  
"I shouldn't have gone," Julia insisted. "I should be at my post." She looked to them. "We should be at our posts, dammit. They're going into a dangerous situation and we're not there!"  
  
Meridina nodded. "I know, and I understand," she said, her tone gentle and quiet. "But what is done is done, Commander Andreys. You could not have known. Do not let this gnaw at you."  
  
It was clear Julia was not going to feel any better, however. She clenched her fists. "We've got to make the most of this," she said. "We need to find out how Miss Parker left and any clues on what she's doing, then we need to go get Jarod back."  
  
"Thankfully, I've received some help in that department," said Almerda. "Please, follow me."  
  
He led them to a computer lab in Colony Security. At the main station of said lab was a man who looked to be in his thirties, Caucasian with a balding head, wearing a civilian jacket, shirt, and pants. He was busy at work on the computers.  
  
"Broots," Angela said.  
  
The former member of Miss Parker's Jarod-chasing team turned in his chair. "Angela," he said. A soft, friendly smile crossed his face. "It's good to see you again."  
  
She nodded. "Given the situation, at least."  
  
Broots ' friendly smile faded. "Yeah." He shook his head. "I was hoping it was true. That Miss Parker was accepting our new lives here." He turned in his chair. "But she wasn't. And she's been plotting this since last year, going by her records. It took a little doing, and every trick I've learned about your computer systems, but I found hidden data in her personal computer systems. It was masquerading as a system operation file."  
  
"That sounds quite complex," Meridina noted. "Is Miss Parker learned enough in computers to compile such a thing?"  
  
"I doubt it," answered Broots. "I think someone showed her." He tapped a couple of keys and brought up a series of communication logs. "And she's been in contact with the Centre."  
  
"That's not possible." Julia frowned and looked intently at the communication logs. "A4P5 is strictly off limits to us, and we have long-range sensor nets arrayed around the system to prevent anyone from getting there undetected. How could she have done this?"  
  
"If I had to guess, she found a way around it," Broots said. "Starting about four months ago."  
  
"Do we know what they said?", asked Angel.  
  
Broots shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. But it's not hard to guess what they were talking about."  
  
"Her father must be alive," Julia said. "Given everything I've heard about her, she can't be dumb enough to do all of this and not be sure of it."  
  
"Knowing the Centre, even if her father's alive, they would have made a hard sell." Broots shuddered involuntarily. "I do not miss working for them."  
  
"They seem quite dark indeed." Meridina moved forward. "Can you tell whom Miss Parker hired to help her? I know she had a _swevyra'kse_ with her."  
  
"A wha…. never mind." Broots started going through the data again.  
  
One by one, images appeared. "It looks like she got most of them from the suspicious persons list," Broots remarked.  
  
Eight images popped up. Most looked Human, with one woman who had eyes hued golden. Julia recognized the odd ones out as a Mi'qote and a Krogan, the former with fiery red fur around the cat-like ears at the top of her head, the latter colored dark green with fiery red eyes.  
  
"I'm putting these people through the records that Colony Security's gotten from the rest of the Multiverse… and these people are bad news." Broots shook his head and read from the list. "Adam Wolff, Universe L2M1, a suspected smuggler and killer with a Rowland Ltd. Light Cargo ship called the _Deadman's Hand_ , suspected stolen. The Krogan is Weyrloc Krel, kicked out of a mercenary group called the Blood Pack for excessive violence and discipline problems. Y'tala is another mercenary known for operating in an area called the Unaligned Worlds in N2S7. There are warrants for her arrest from the Dorei, the Gersallians, and her homeworld Ys'talla. Karl Wilton is from S0T5, a mixed martial-arts fighter who is listed as a bodyguard and mercenary for hire with contacts in the Solarian and Cevaucian underworlds. The woman was known as Denna Reynolds and Una Samson, she's also from S0T5, and is wanted by the Solarians, the Aurigans, the Cascadian Freeworlds, and a couple of other states as a known assassin." Another data point popped up. "And it looks like someone matching her description was involved in a spree of killings on M4P2 Earth. The Systems Alliance has a standing alert listed on the UAS criminal database."  
  
"Christ," Angel swore. "Where the hell did Parker get the money to pay for these people?!"  
  
"I'll look into it," Broots promised. He looked over the last entry. "And the last is for a Gersallian man, Dralan Olati."  
  
Angela blinked and looked to Meridina. "I thought Gersallians didn't have last names?"  
  
"A misconception," Meridina replied. "But they are not commonly used. We use given names and placenames, rarely family names." A pensive look came to her face. "Olati… that is a Kuneli name."  
  
"Kuneli?"  
  
"One of our ethnic groups, from our western hemisphere's tropical island region," replied Meridina. "The Kuneli have maintained a clan-based family structure. The Olati clan are from the island of Wutami and are a leading family. He undoubtedly specifies the name as a badge of pride." Meridina had a frown on her face. "This 'Denna Reynolds' also seems to be a _swevyra'kse_. That would mean two of them. This is most concerning."  
  
"We can't take all of them on," Angel noted. "We'd never stand a chance. We'll need backup."  
  
"That's assuming we can even get to A4P5," Julia noted. "We could be killing our careers or end up imprisoned if we try."  
  
"There is an alternative," Meridina pointed out. "We should take wisdom from our quarry."  
  
"You mean hire people for yourself," Broots said. "I'm not sure with what, though…"  
  
"The right people will not require financial compensation," Meridina said. "And even if we do, the reward for recovering an Alliance officer may suffice."  
  
"I doubt it," Angel grumbled. "But the question is still… where are we going to find people?"  
  
There was silence for a moment. It was broken by a laugh. Everyone turned to face Julia, who continued the laugh for a moment. A wide, brilliant grin was on her face. "We follow Miss Parker's example," Julia said. "Angel, call Hernan. Tell him we're looking for people who can fight. Heavy hitters."  
  
"Do you think we will find someone willing to work with us in that sort of crowd, Julia?", Angel asked, not quite able to eliminate the skepticism from her voice.  
  
"It's a start," Julia answered.  
  
"Indeed," Meridina concurred.  
  
  
  
  
It was getting late, and they were all getting tired, when the three women found themselves in an outer commercial area beyond the limits of the initial Colony, still out of uniform. Here the streets, few as they were, were unfamiliar, and Julia felt the hair on her neck stand up at looking over it all. It was profoundly uncomfortable to her to think of how places like this could exist even here, in the Colony they had built for the abused and oppressed.  
  
One such warehouse had an open door on one end. Angel, again, took the lead in approaching the door. A large, sunglass-wearing man looked over them.  
  
"Hernan says hello," Angel said. "I'm his Angry Angel."  
  
"You here to participate?"  
  
"I'm here to find someone," she answered. She held up a bill. Earth Confederacy currency. "Here's the gate for all three of us."  
  
The man frowned and looked over the bill. "Any trouble, and they'll never find you, understand?"  
  
"Understood," Angel replied. She nodded to the others and went inside.  
  
Low voices came from the warehouse as they entered the main part of the building through a hall. Crowds of people, some nicely dressed and some not-so-nicely dressed, were gathered here and there. More men and women in suits glared their way initially before shifting attention away. "They are quite suspicious of us," Meridina noted. "Our identities are known."  
  
"Then don't cause problems," Angel said.  
  
"They're just here to make money, right? Killing us would ruin that."  
  
"So let's not give them a reason to think they should make the attempt." Angel checked her civilian-make multidevice, provided by Hernan with a few names on it. "Hernan's sure our guy is here. A real badass of a mercenary. Keep looking."  
  
As they moved around, in the rough direction of what looked like a betting table, an MC got into the center ring. "And now for our next card!", the man, a Korean man with a decent English accent, declared. Julia ignored him announcing one fighter, a man with a Central Asian-sounding name, and kept looking for their contact.  
  
Nevertheless she was interested to hear the name of the second contestant, dubbed "the Blind Raptor", as an alien sounding name: Kasszas S'szrishin. She glanced back, wondering what species it was, to see that the bronze-skinned human stripped down to boxing shorts was facing a six and a half foot tall feathered reptilian humanoid, lime green scales on his lean raptor-shaped head joined with red and yellow feathers. The reptilian wore a robe-like garment of faint yellow and dark gray. His eyes were dull and unmoving, as if he wasn't seeing what was in front of him as the crowd cheered or booed his name.  
  
"Julia, he's over here."  
  
Angel calling out to her diverted Julia's attention. She turned to face an area beside the makeshift gambling kiosk. A man in a dark brown shirt and black trousers was leaning against the side of the kiosk, looking at the fight. His eyes were not matched; the left one was normal and brown, but the right one looked off-center and had a grayish, almost white coloring to it. His face was worn with age - he was rather clearly middle-aged, at least - and gruff, which was not surprising given what Hernan said about him. And it was, indeed, the face of the man that Hernan had proposed to Angel when asked.  
  
Since she had the superior rank, Julia stepped past Angel and up to the man. "Are you…?"  
  
The older man put a finger to his mouth in a "silence" gesture. "Not now, girl, the match is startin', and I put credits on this one," he said. He had an English accent and a rough tone.  
  
Julia frowned, but she didn't continue for the moment. No use aggravating the man when she was coming for his help. She turned her head to watch the fight.  
  
The Human fighter was tall, large, and muscled. He looked and moved like an MMA fighter, and Julia admired the skill he showed in the martial arts with his movements.  
  
But what she was surprised at was his foe. The Zigonian was clearly blind, but yet the Human couldn't land a single strike on him. Kicks and punches were dodged with deft, agile moves in all directions. The Zigonian nearly slid across the ring in avoiding the man's strikes, punches and kicks and grabs that Julia would never have evaded, even if she'd seen them coming. Nearby people were screaming in frustration at the Human, demanding he land a punch, that he do anything to end the fight with a victory (for both himself and for their wallets).  
  
The misses were making the other fighter frustrated and angry. His attacks were losing the grace and poise Julia had seen before. He was wasting energy in increasingly wild strikes, losing his posture, becoming so easy to read that Julia would have put him on his back by now.  
  
Suddenly he fell. The Zigonian hadn't raised an arm or leg to strike him. It was like he had his legs knocked out from under him… Julia "ahhed". Of course. The Zigonian had a _tail_.  
  
The fighter went to stand up. The Zigonian's foot struck his shoulder and knocked him back over. The Zigonian stood over him and then kneeled to pin the Human in place. The Human struggled, flailed, and then gave up upon seeing he couldn't move or harm his foe.  
  
"The Blind Raptor wins again!", the MC declared.  
  
People nearby threw strips of paper to the floor in disgust, grumbling and growling. The man they'd approached broke out laughing. "Serves you jackasses right," he crowed. "You see someone callin' themselves blind gettin' into a fight, you know they've got somethin' to them!"  
  
The people he shouted at growled further, but none dared approach. And not just from the bouncers that would stop them. Julia could see the killer instinct in the man. He was dangerous, just as Hernan had said.  
  
"Now, girl, you were sayin' something?", the man asked her.  
  
Julia nodded. "You're Zaaed Massani, right?"  
  
That got her a smirk and a look. "Who's askin'?"  
  
"I'm Julia Andreys. I'm with the Stellar Navy."  
  
"So, you God-amned people are finally gettin' around to considerin' my offer?", Zaeed asked. "Because I'm just about ready to head back home. Gettin' tired of this pissant little place."  
  
Julia frowned at that description of the Colony. But she was more interested in what he had said. "What offer?"  
  
Zaeed eyed her over. "Ah dammit," he growled. "So you're not here to talk about my contract offer? It was that little jackass Corelo, wasn't it? Sendin' me another shitty little job that I'm not interested in. No, sweetheart, I'm not here to do bounty huntin', not unless they've got swastikas."  
  
"You came to fight the Nazis?", Angel asked.  
  
"Damned right," Zaeed said. "Hell of a thing, havin' a universe with damned Nazis around. Beats blowing up more bastards in the Terminus Systems, and I figured you people would be payin' good credits. A man's got to eat, after all, even if he's blowin' up God-amned Nazis. But all I bloody hear is shit about God-amned regulations for private military contractors, 'where's your license', and all that shit. I told that little rat Corelo that I was only interested in people who could light a fire under your Alliance arses, and he sends me this?"  
  
"Mister Massani, who else wanted to hire you?", asked Meridina.  
  
"Some broad, long dark hair, name of Parker," Zaeed said. "Said she had a bounty. But I'm not an idiot. I'm a bounty hunter, not some God-amned kidnapper. I told her to take a hike."  
  
"Well, that's a coincidence," Angel said. "Because she's the one we're here about."  
  
Zaeed chuckled. "Ah, she got her team and what, took a friend? Well…" He crossed his arms. "What can you pay? Because it'd better be worth my God-amned time." Around them the crowd was cheering again. Another fight was underway.  
  
"How much are you looking for?", Julia asked.  
  
Zaeed eyed her. And then he shook his head. "Forget it. You ask that instead of offerin' something, I know you don't have it. Piss off."  
  
"We can offer you something better than credits," Angel insisted, stepping up as if to cut him off.  
  
There was steel and irritation in Zaeed's working eye when he looked her way. "I know you probably think you're hot shit, but I've been fightin' since you were in diapers, girlie. Move away or I'll make you move."  
  
Julia stepped up and back into Zaeed's sight. "You say you want a contract with the Alliance for the war. I can get you that."  
  
Zaeed laughed in Julia's face. "You're shittin' me, girl. What are you, some hotshot lieutenant lookin' to impress an admiral without havin' to blow him?"  
  
At that Julia drew closer, matching him eye for steely eye. "I'm not," she said, in a low and forceful tone. "Because I'm _Commander_ Julia Andreys, First Officer of the _Starship Aurora_ , under the direct and _personal_ command of President Morgan and the Chairman of his Defense Staff. I can present your case to Admiral Maran himself with a single call."  
  
Zaeed narrowed his good eye. He didn't flinch away.  
  
Neither did Julia.  
  
"Well," he finally said. "I'll be damned. Looks like I finally got someone's bloody attention." He looked to the others. "So, we're after this Parker lady. Who'd she take?"  
  
"She hired mercenaries like you," Angel said, "and abducted our shipmate."  
  
"Commander Jarod is the Operations Officer on our ship," Julia added. "I'm sure helping with his recovery will go a long way when I talk to Admiral Maran about you."  
  
Zaeed pondered that. "I knew that lady was God-amned trouble," he growled. "Alright. What's your plan? And why do you need me? You've got a ship, and so you've got bloody Marines on it."  
  
"Our ship's been called away on a time-sensitive mission," Julia replied. "We got left behind because we were out of communication. So we're putting together a rescue mission of our own."  
  
"And you're lookin' for professionals to fight Parker's team, right?" Zaeed pondered it for a moment. "Alright, what the hell, I'm bored stiff anyway. I do this job, you present me to Admiral Maran."  
  
"Done," Julia vowed. "I'll personally escort you to Defense Command if I have to."  
  
"I'll bloody well hold you to that, Commander," Zaeed answered. "Got transportation?"  
  
"I've got thoughts on that," she replied. "People I know."  
  
Zaeed nodded. He brought up his left arm. An omnitool came to life, wrapping around the space between the elbow and wrist like a multidevice was. Angel raised her civilian-model multidevice toward him as Zaeed operated the hard-light controls that popped up. "This is my call number," he said. "I'll be back at my rooms, gearin' up. Let me know when and where to meet your ship." Once the data was transferred, he lowered his arm and the omnitool disappeared. "Now excuse me, I've got some credits to collect."  
  
Zaeed walked away from them. "A rather formidable individual," said Meridina. "There is rage burning deep within him that may yet lead him astray."  
  
"Right now, that's not our problem," Julia said. "Let's go."  
  
The next fight was still raging as they went to leave. They walked back into the hall leading to the front door. Only as they got close to it did they watch another guard step out from what looked like the cash office. The hall was narrow enough that he was blocking the exit.  
  
Julia's eyes narrowed. She glanced back and saw that two more of the guards were blocking the hall in the other direction.  
  
"It would appear that they want something," Meridina said.  
  
Another figure stepped out from the cash office, better dressed than the guards flanking him. He was Human-looking, but with dark eyes that were not normal for Humans. _Betazoid_ , Julia thought.  
  
"Commander Andreys," the man said. "A surprise to find such an august presence here."  
  
"And you are?", Julia asked.  
  
"A businessman," was the reply. "I admit I was stunned when I was informed of your conversation with the mercenary. To think you would come here, to my humble little fighting ring?"  
  
Not having time to stretch it out, Julia asked, "Why aren't you letting us leave?"  
  
"As I said, I'm a businessman. And I can imagine how much someone of your rank is worth. As ransom… or not, as the case may be." He smirked. "I've heard there are certain… parties in S4W8 who would pay a Brikar's weight in gold-pressed latinum to get their hands on any member of the _Aurora_ crew. Three of you? Even better."  
  
"They'll tear this place down hunting for us," Angel said. "And I know people who'll kill every Syndicate man on the planet if you try this."  
  
"The Syndicate isn't afraid of a few black marketeers on a two-bit planet, young lady. Now, if you make it worth my while to let you go, perhaps some business arrangements of benefit to…"  
  
Before he could finish speaking there was a shout from behind him. The sounds of flesh being struck, a cry of pain, made it clear someone was being attacked.  
  
Meridina acted next. She extended a hand to the rear and a wave of force slammed into the bodyguards behind them, sending them flying. She reached into her pants belt and pulled out her hidden _lakesh_ , which extended to full length with a sharp metallic shriek. "I will watch from behind!", she shouted.  
  
Angel and Julia dashed forward. The guards to either side of the Syndicate manager moved ahead of him to intercept. One was an Andorian, one of the masculine genders, and the other was a solid-looking Human. They braced themselves for a fight.  
  
Angel attacked first, taking on the Andorian with a low tackle. There was no style to her follow up punch that knocked the Andorian out cold.  
  
The Human snarled at Julia and threw a punch that nearly connected. She pulled to her left at the last moment to avoid it and grabbed the arm in question. The move she used was based on the _mok'bara_ Worf had taught her and Angel during his time on the _Aurora_ , a sequence of muscle movement and weight shifting that allowed her to pull her attacker's arm behind his back and twist until he screamed and went to his knees. Julia kept the pressure up until Angel helpfully punched him across the face and knocked him out.  
  
Pain surged through her head a moment later. Julia screamed, as did Angel, and both put their hands to their temples. _The Betazoid!_ , was the thought that came through the pain.  
  
 _Yes. Now…_  
  
The pain let up, joined by another cry of surprise and pain as something wrapped across the Betazoid's head. He fell over, losing consciousness as he collapsed. Julia and Angel looked to the cloaked figure that stood behind their foe, a large metallic staff in his hand. "This way," he urged in good English, running toward the door.  
  
Behind them the whine of an energy weapon was joined by a cry. Someone had tried to shoot Meridina with a phaser and had the beam directed into his shoulder. Within the warehouse cries of shock and surprise came. People heard the fighting and now heard the gunfire. They would be stampeding for the exit any moment.  
  
"Meridina, come on!", Julia shouted, Angel already running ahead with their rescuer. She delivered a solid punch that put the troublesome door guard out completely, ensuring nobody blocked them.  
  
"Go!", she shouted, deflecting another energy shot at her, this one more of a pulse and from a pistol. "I will follow if I can."  
  
Before Julia could insist, a figure loomed behind the Syndicate bouncers shooting at Meridina. The figure twisted and a flash of green color slammed into the side of one of the bouncers, knocking him into the other.  
  
It took Julia a moment to process what that flash came from. It had come from a tail.  
  
The blind Zigonian who had been fighting in the ring entered the hall. "Go", he said firmly. "I am behind you." He resumed running. Meridina joined him.  
  
Nearby was an aircar, or rather an air-van, with four seats in the back. Their rescuer ran for the driver side and Julia went for the same side, with Angel already getting in the front seat on the passenger side. Meridina retracted the _lakesh_ blade and followed Julia in, prompting her to move over to sit behind Angel. The blind Zigonian found his way into the back door and climbed into the rear.  
  
A crowd of people started rushing out of the front door. The suited bouncers were with them, and they were reaching for weapons.  
  
"Go, go!", Julia urged. The hooded, cloaked figure's hand was already reaching for the wheel. The van tilted toward one side from the weight. The Zigonian used his tail to close the rear door just as a phaser beam scoured it. The van lurched toward one side until its hovering systems compensated for the acceleration and curve, returning to a flat and level bearing by the time they were racing down the road.  
  
"I'm so going to slap Hernan for this," Angel growled.  
  
"I do not think Mister Corelo knew of the danger," the hooded man said. His voice and tone were reserved, quiet, and he seemed very calm for the situation. "Are you hurt?"  
  
"My head's still ringing from that telepathic attack," Angel groaned.  
  
"Mine too." Julia rubbed at her forehead. "He was really going to try and abduct and sell us?"  
  
"Damned slaver," Angel spat. "I wish I'd broken his neck before we left."  
  
"Given the damage he has done to the Syndicate's standing here, I do not think that would prove necessary," the hooded man said.  
  
Julia nodded and looked back to the Zigonian. "Thank you," she said.  
  
"Thanks are not necessary," he said softly in reply. His blind eyes continued to stare at nothingness. "Creation guides us to where we are meant to be, and so I was guided to you." His head nodded. "I am Kasszas S'szrishin and I am a Brother of the Harmonious Val-Drillim."  
  
"Commander Julia Andreys," Julia answered. "Commander Meridina, Lieutenant Angela Delgado."  
  
Meridina bowed her head in respect to Kasszas. She turned to the driver. "You followed us when we left Hernan de Corelo's establishment earlier this evening."  
  
"I believed you would run into danger eventually," the man answered. "It seemed proper to help you."  
  
"Why?", Angel asked.  
  
"Because it was, and still is, the right thing to do. Allow me to remove my hood now, as a gesture of trust." With a free hand he pulled the hood away.  
  
It had seemed high before to Julia, and she realized why upon seeing the bone wrapping around the crown of his head and pointing up toward the rear. "You're a Minbari," she said. She tried to place the bone's appearance and what she knew of what that marked with Minbari. "And born in the religious caste?"  
  
"Yes, Commander Andreys." He nodded. "My name is Lennier. And I wish to help you save your friend."  
  
  
  
  
  
Jarod awoke with the jolt that went through the ship. Nearby his bodyguard, the Asian man with the cybernetics, was sitting quietly. "Turbulence," he said simply. "We're making our way into the atmosphere."  
  
"And lighting up every radar in the hemisphere," Jarod said.  
  
"The ship's got stealth capability," was the reply. "Not that it matters to you."  
  
Jarod tested his restraints again. They were still firm. "How much did she offer you to become a fugitive?"  
  
"That's between me and her." The visor on his face hid his eyes when he turned to face Jarod. "If you ask me, I don't give a damn if you turn around and escape from these people. Just don't do it until we leave. Otherwise, we'll be forced to cripple you, and that'd just be a waste."  
  
"I'll take that under advisement," Jarod replied.  
  
He waited patiently while the turbulence came to an end. Shortly thereafter there was a vibration in the deck plates; they'd landed.  
  
The door slid open moments later. Miss Parker stepped in with the Gersallian man and the Krogan. "It's time," she said.  
  
"You're just going to hand me over to the Centre in exchange for your father?", Jarod asked.  
  
"You're the genius, Jarod, so what do you think?" She nodded to the latter, who with a growl and grunt stepped forward and bodily lifted the chair and Jarod with it. It was a tight fit getting out of the door, with the Krogan growling the whole way about it, from which they walked down what Jarod figured was the main hall of the ship. It certainly appeared to be a cargo vessel.  
  
The rest of Parker's team, save the unseen pilot of the ship, joined them in the cargo bay. A ramp opened up, leading to a cool autumn night. The ship had landed on a private airway stsrip. Jarod looked over the property they were on. It was somewhere in the Cascades, on the inland side in what Washingtonians called "the Inland Empire". The mountains were already blocking the setting sun, casting shadows over everything. It was probably miles to the nearest town.  
  
The structure was a squat, one storey building of concrete and brick. It looked like a small office building, or a station for park rangers. It might have even been the latter at one point. But knowing the Centre, it had been heavily refurbished, perhaps even with an underground level or two (or three, or even four).  
  
Several figures were between them and the structure. Most were in dark suits holding firearms. One was standing behind a wheelchair, in which sat a sickly, balding man that Jarod readily, and unhappily, recognized as Mister Raines.  
  
Another was a man of bronze coloration and Caucasian facial features. He had dark hair and a dark beard, both streaked with white, and cold gray eyes. His suit was the best of those present and his air was that of the man in charge. "Ah, Miss Parker," he said, with an English accent that was refined and hinted at an Arabic origin of the speaker. "So good of you to join us. I was beginning to worry."  
  
"I'm not here to say hello," she said. "Let me see him."  
  
The suited man nodded to someone behind him. Two men stepped up carrying a video monitor. The screen showed a barely-furnished room, more of a prison cell, in which sat an older balding man with a frumpled suit.  
  
"Daddy," Miss Parker breathed.  
  
The figure looked over and up at a screen. " _Angel_ ," the old balding man said. A smile crossed his face. " _I knew you'd come back for me._ "  
  
"Did they hurt you?", she asked.  
  
" _Not much, and that doesn't matter._ "  
  
Miss Parker nodded. And then she glared toward Raines and the suited man. "This wasn't the deal."  
  
"Maybe not, but there's no telling what your people are capable of." The man kept a diplomatic smile. "Understand our point of view, Miss Parker. Last year Jarod and these allies of his came and penetrated the security of the Centre. Mister Lyle told us of what he was capable of in his debriefing, as did our security teams at headquarters who personally witnessed as one of Jarod's associates disappeared in a flash of light. If we brought your father here and confirmed his location to you, you could just as easily snatch him away and leave us holding the bag. And we can't have that, can we?"  
  
Miss Parker frowned. "I suppose I can see the logic," she said. "But you could have shared that with me while we made the deal."  
  
"It was something of a last minute consideration, I assure you," the suited man said, and with just enough conviction that one could almost think he was telling the truth. "I suppose we were so eager to get Jarod back that we failed to properly consider the situation. I assure you, returning your father to you is my honest intention. The Centre has nothing to gain by needlessly antagonizing people with your evident resources. It pains me that you felt it necessary to bring so many interlopers as it is."  
  
"I've found trust is in short supply when it comes to certain people," Parker answered, leveling her eyes squarely on Raines.  
  
"That goes both ways." The sick, vicious old man returned the glare. "I could ask why she brought these people, these _things_." Raines looked to the Krogan, who growled in reply. "I think it was so you could take your father by force."  
  
"Only if you make me," she insisted. "Stick to the deal and you've got nothing to worry about."  
  
 _I'll kill the one in the wheelchair for free_ , a voice said in her head. It was Dralan, of course.  
  
"This can still work, Miss Parker," the suited man insisted. "Your father can be brought to you swiftly. We only need you to cooperate for a little while. Would you hear me out?"  
  
For several tense seconds there was silence. "I'm listening," answered Miss Parker, finally breaking that tension.  
  
"Bring some of your team and enter with us," he said. "Witness while we begin Jarod's debriefing. Once we have completed his debriefing, you walk out with your father. We're guaranteed something for our trouble and you have done your duty as a loyal daughter, free to leave with Mister Parker with the blessing of the Triumvirate. And thus everyone's happy."  
  
Miss Parker frowned. She didn't trust them, and that was quite obvious to everyone. But running the situation in her mind, it was the best solution that didn't risk her father being executed before she could intervene. "Agreed," she said. "But let me make something clear." She used her other hand to bring up her multidevice and tapped the call button. "Wolff? Show them your surprise."  
  
" _With pleasure_ ", replied a man with a strong voice, his accent from the English Midlands.  
  
There was a whirring sound coming from the cargo ship. A false panel slid away and a flat, wide muzzle emerged from it and pointed toward the building. "That's a 200 megawatt plasma cannon," Parker said. "If you betray me, everything here gets atomized. And then Mister Wolff moves on to the rest of the Centre with any of my people left, understand?"  
  
Raines frowned deeply. His superior, however, merely smiled as if he was pleased by Miss Parker's threat. "I'd expect nothing less of the daughter of Mister Parker," he said evenly. "It is a shame you have decided not to remain with the Centre."  
  
"I've had my fill of it."  
  
She looked to her team. "You know what to do."  
  
The Krogan put Jarod down. Miss Parker pulled her gun as Denna unlatched Jarod, winking at him in the process as if to flirt and then putting a pair of shock cuffs on his wrists. The auburn-haired woman's golden eyes flashed with malicious pleasure as she stroked the key on the small remote control in her palm, sending a low level shock that made Jarod gasp from the pain, mostly in surprise at how intense it was.  
  
As this was going on, Miss Parker listened to Wolff over the radio. " _Sorry, luv, but I couldn't get a fix on his location. They're usin' a tight beam signal bouncin' off of satellites. Clever little buggers, aren't they?_ "  
  
"I was expecting that," she said, or rather whispered, so bare a whisper that only Jarod heard her. But it would be picked up by her transmitter regardless, and thus Wolff heard her too.  
  
Miss Parker held the gun to Jarod and motioned toward the men from the Centre. "After you."  
  
The suited man nodded and turned. Mr. Raines' assistant turned his chair. The other armed men remained long enough to cover them before joining the Centre contingent.  
  
"You have excited his curiosity," mumbled Dralan. "He may attempt treachery. And the sick man desires it."  
  
"That's to be expected." Miss Parker narrowed her eyes. "Did you sense anything about who he is?"  
  
"They think of him as 'His Lordship.'"  
  
"He's British," Jarod noted. "And he might have a peerage."  
  
Miss Parker quickly put two and two together. "He's one of the Triumvirate, then." She smirked at Jarod. "You should feel honored."  
  
"Oh, so honored," he responded sarcastically. He turned his head to face Parker. "If you had brought me in on this, I could have gotten your father out by now."  
  
"Maybe, maybe not. Now _move_ , or I'll have Dralan move you."  
  
Jarod sighed and started walking.  
  
  
  
  
Inside the building they were brought to a flight of stairs that led underground. "Another underground base," Jarod sighed. "How shocking."  
  
"You should be honored, Mister Jarod," said the suited man. "We built it for you. If you hadn't run, you would have found this place a kind and loving home. Alas, it was not to be."  
  
Jarod said nothing while they went down sterile officer corridors, although there was no mistaking the purpose of the heavy steel security doors with electronic locks. They went to one and opened it. "We don't need him cuffed here," the suited man said to Miss Parker.  
  
Parker nodded and looked wordlessly to Y'tala. The Mi'qote woman nodded back and took out the device to unlock the shock cuffs. She did so without comment, putting them back on her belt.  
  
At this point Jarod was taken by the security men for the Centre, who pulled him inside and then shut the door. Paper and pen were laid out before him, as was a computer system loaded with advanced modeling software.  
  
"This doesn't look like it's meant for a simulation," Jarod said, looking toward the guards.  
  
"That's because we've got something new for you to do, Jarod."  
  
The voice was familiar, and it made Jarod frown deeply. He turned toward a darkened corner of the room, a room evidently more large than he'd realized.  
  
Overhead lights snapped on. Standing on the other side of the room was Mr. Lyle.  
  
And on either side of him were two wooden chairs, each with a figure strapped into it by wire. One chair held a woman who looked to be in her late twenties, perhaps just at thirty, and the other a man now clearly into his late fifties or even sixties, both Caucasian in complexion. The man was in a pair of trousers but otherwise barechested - the brown-haired woman was in a pair of running shorts and a sports bra, scuffed from a struggle. They had duct tape covering their mouths, keeping them from speaking.  
  
Jarod's heart threatened to plunge into his twisting stomach. "Dad," he muttered. "Emily."  
  
Mr. Lyle effected a wipe at his cheek as if to deal with a tear. "I'm so moved by family reunions," he said with full glibness. "They gave us a run, Jarod. You'd be proud. Catching them was a nice little distraction while we waited for you to be brought back." Lyle leaned over Emily. His hand stroked at her cheek and a strand of disheveled hair there. She recoiled from him. Her face was twisted into defiance and fear and anger, joined by the worry in her eyes when she looked at Jarod. "We're still looking for your precious mother," Lyle confirmed. "Although it wouldn't shock me if she's dead by now. But with your dear old Dad and your precious baby sister here, I think we have enough to work with, don't you?"  
  
Jarod clenched his fists. "If you harm them, Lyle, I'll…"  
  
"...watch helplessly, because you're not the one in control here, Jarod. _I_ am." Lyle chuckled, and the chuckle was the kind you'd expect from a man on the cusp of losing control. Even the other guards in the room shifted uncomfortably, but they remained in a position to intercept Jarod if he tried to lunge toward Lyle. "I had so many _fun_ plans for your debriefing, Jarod. A little _taste_ of what I've gone through thanks to you. But His Lordship made it clear; the Centre wants you unspoiled. He's a bit of a prig, between you and me. I had so many ideas… _so many_..." Lyle again ran his hand along Emily's face, causing her to try and pull away in disgust. "...and he said no. Anyway, moving on, because time is money you know." Lyle went into a corner of the room and brought over a device set on wheels. Jarod swallowed at seeing what it was, and knew what Lyle was doing as he pulled leads from the machine and fixed them with clear tape to the bare arms, shoulders, and bellies of his bound captives. "Nothing near the heart, of course," Lyle cooed. "We wouldn't want to give them a heart attack, would we?"  
  
"What are you doing?", Jarod asked in a low, dangerous tone.  
  
"For a genius, you can be slow on the uptake," Lyle laughed. "Here's how it is, Jarod." He plopped into a chair facing Jarod, with the controls of the device in front of him and behind Emily and Charles. "The Centre doesn't care about your simulations now. Oh, maybe one day they will, but they've got more important things to do with you. They want your _technology_. Everything you showed us you can do is something the Centre wants for itself now, and you are going to give it to us. We want you to write out the science, the plans, everything so we can produce this stuff." Lyle held up a hand. "And yes, I'm sure you're about to say you'll never give it to us, the Centre can't have it, blah blah blah, but that's where your family comes in. Because if you don't start cooperating _right now_..."  
  
Jarod shouted "No!" as Lyle's hand went to the dial.  
  
The machine buzzed faintly. His sister and father started to tremor violently in the chairs they were bound to, muffled screams coming from underneath the tape covering their mouths. Their faces twisted into a rictus of savage agony.  
  
" _ **Stop!**_ ", Jarod shouted in desperation.  
  
Lyle grinned devilishly. "I don't see you _writing_...", he said in a sing-song tone.  
  
Wordlessly Jarod grabbed a pen and took a paper to start scribbling. He started with something basic, something that wasn't too dangerous to write about, by laying out the foundations of subspace theory. He glanced up while he scribbled furiously.  
  
Lyle watched him write for several more seconds before turning the dial back to the off position. Emily and Charles were left wheezing, with tears flowing from their eyes.  
  
As Jarod continued to write, his mind raced. He counted the hours since his abduction and considered how long it might have taken before it was detected, and how long for an investigation to confirm Miss Parker was responsible and that he'd been brought here. After that, how long before the President would approve a rescue mission into the exclusion zone around Earth...  
  
Which, in turn, would tell him how long he had to stall Lyle before the _Aurora_ crew arrived to rescue him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jarod faces the Centre for the future of his family.

Chief Almerda accepted the report of the fight club with exasperation. "We have had intelligence of the Syndicate establishing a business operation on New Liberty," he sighed. "How they manage to do so without direct Orion commercial traffic is beyond me."  
  
"I'm sure you're not the only police chief wondering the same," Julia said. She stood with Meridina in Almerda's office while Angel remained with the others.  
  
"And hiring this mercenary, this Zaeed Massani… are you sure that's wise?"  
  
"Given the scale of the threat Miss Parker's team poses, it is reasonable."  
  
A concerned look was on Detective Okonwi's face at that. "I still find it hard to believe she raised the funds to hire such individuals. She was not paid that much as a consultant, and even if she had business arrangements with Corelo, he does not move that much money. I doubt anyone does even in a black market economy, not with the size of our Colony. She must have outside help of some sort."  
  
"I'm afraid I have no answers." This was from Sydney, who had joined them when they returned to Colony Security. His face was withdrawn and stony. "I don't know of anyone who could have assisted Miss Parker financially."  
  
"Whatever happened, our next move is clear. We need a ship."  
  
"I cannot help you in that regard," Almerda said. "Even if I had one, it would violate the Alliance statues to travel to A4P5, and the Colony would be blamed."  
  
"I know. I already have some ideas in that direction," Julia said. "I just wanted to touch base with you one last time before we left. In case anything else was found." She smirked. "And to get our multidevices back." She subconsciously ran her right had over the device returned to her left wrist.  
  
"Of course." Almerda smiled back. "And we will conveniently forget that you stated an intention to violate the exclusion zone around A4P5 Earth."  
  
"Why, sir, whatever do you mean by such a thing?," Julia answered in faux-disbelief, injecting such much-needed levity into the situation. "Hopefully I'll see you again soon enough."  
  
"Go with God," was his reply. Okonwi gave a nod of agreement.  
  
After they left the office and were walking through the halls of the building, Meridina spoke up. "I have two points of concern to address."  
  
"Shoot," Julia replied.  
  
"The first is transportation. Do you have any in mind?"  
  
"I already have a candidate, you might say," Julia said. "Although with our new friends, it might get a bit cramped."  
  
"I see." Meridina nodded. "Not a runabout then?"  
  
"Much smaller than one, I'm afraid."  
  
"I think I see your intention. Hopefully Commander Adama will be able to change his traveling plans. I am somewhat intrigued that you seem ready to trust him on this endeavor, though, I do not recall you two being so cl…" Meridina stopped at sensing the very stray, much-unintended thought that crossed Julia's mind. She gave Julia a curious look. "Truly?"  
  
"What?", Julia asked.  
  
"You and Commander Adama…"  
  
Pink appeared on Julia's cheeks. "We understand each other, let's leave it at that?"  
  
"I see." Meridina nodded. "I believe I understand. I am happy that you found necessary companionship."  
  
"That might be putting it a bit far..." Julia turned a corner, followed by Meridina. They were approaching the main entrance of Colony Security. "And the second thing you were concerned with?"  
  
"Miss Parker has availed herself of the services of two _swevyra'kse_ ," Meridina pointed out. "That is, those with my abilities, but who have fallen to their dark sides. I am unaware of their levels of skill and power, but I am uncertain of my ability to protect you from both."  
  
"So what you're saying is that we need another one of your fellow Knights," Julia said.  
  
"Or someone of similar training. There are several Dorei orders who train much as we do, they may also help."  
  
"We'll talk about it when we get back to the others," Julia said, just as they emerged from the door.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
The voice caused them to turn back just outside the door, which remained open. Behind them came Sydney, winded from the near-jog he had sustained to catch up. "I… would like to go," he said.  
  
"I appreciate the thought, Sydney, but this is going to be dangerous."  
  
"I know. But I want to be there for Jarod." Sydney took a moment to fully regain his breath, and to work up his composure in the process. "Please."  
  
Meridina gave Julia a look. "This may for the best."  
  
"I don't know if there will be room in the Raptor for all of us," she replied. "Even with one of us acting as co-pilot."  
  
"Perhaps, or perhaps not, but we should at least let him have the chance to go."  
  
Julia pondered that. "Is this one of those 'life force' hunches like Robert gets?"  
  
Meridina raised an eyebrow at that terminology. "I suppose it could be said to be such."  
  
"Well." Julia let out a sigh. "Alright. If we have the room, you can come, Doctor Sydney."  
  
The aged man nodded in gratitude. "Thank you, Commander. I will assist you in any way I can."  
  
"Let's go meet back up with the others," Julia said. "I need to see someone about a ship."  
  
  
  
  
They found Lee Adama in the dining area of the New Liberty Visitors' Lodge, sitting with Thrace and Anders. "We heard about Commander Jarod," Lee said. "How can we help?"  
  
Julia, Angel, and Meridina were sitting opposite from them. Lennier was off with the van and Kasszas had returned to his own room in the lodge to get things he said he needed. "We need a ship," Julia said immediately. "A way to get to Earth. Getting someone to give us a jump to A4P5 is the easy part, the hard part is a ship that can make the trip."  
  
"You want to use the Raptor," Thrace said.  
  
"Preferably with you along as the pilot," Julia added.  
  
Thrace looked to Lee. "I'm all for it if you say go," she said. "It'll be cramped, especially if you're bringing extra people. Plus there's the other matter."  
  
"Other matter?", Angel asked.  
  
"Fuel," Lee explained. "Your people don't mine or refine tylium. And the Raptor only has enough fuel left for a couple of jumps at most. That was all we would have needed for the final trip home."  
  
Angel frowned at that. "So basically, if we have to make more than one jump either way, we're boned."  
  
 _You just_ had _to use that word, didn't you?_ , Julia thought to herself. She could see a little twinkle in Lee's eye that she knew was mirrored in her own. As much as it had been a one night stand… it was the type that could easily become something more if allowed to develop. Which, of course, was the tricky part, since Julia wasn't entirely sure she wanted something like that, and she didn't think Lee was either..  
  
"Yep," Thrace said, her voice returning Julia to the matter at hand. "Unless you know of any refined tylium we can top the tank off from."  
  
"I'm afraid not," sighed Julia.  
  
"Now if you find us a ship to ride on, that's do-able." Thrace looked again to Lee. "If the Commander agrees."  
  
Lee smiled at that. "Commander Jarod helped get our people off the Colonies," he said. "I think Admiral Adama and President Baltar will agree that he deserves our help. I'll ask Miss Davis to join me in finding passage on another ship. You take the Raptor and help them in any way you can."  
  
"I'm going too," Anders said. "To give you backup."  
  
"If we can all fit in the Raptor… the more, the merrier," Julia agreed.  
  
"So long as we're not going far, I think we can jam quite a few people in." Thrace sipped at her drink. "Now the question is… can you get us a ship?"  
  
"A ship willing to breach the A4P5 perimeter," Angel added sullenly.  
  
"I'll think of something," Julia said. "Let's get to the spaceport."  
  
They stood up to leave, and were doing so when Lee called out to Julia, prompting her to come back to him. "Good luck," he said. "And…"  
  
"Last night was last night," she answered. And she did so with a smile. "It was special. And it was good. Don't doubt that."  
  
"Yeah." He nodded, smiling back. "Do you mind…"  
  
It was clear what he was asking for. "For good luck? Sure."  
  
They leaned in close and their lips met. The kiss had been intended to be a quick one, but it turned into one that lasted for several seconds before she ended it. "It's a shame you'll be gone by the time we're back," Julia lamented with a sigh. "I've still got a few days of leave."  
  
"Maybe we'll catch each other another time?" There was a bit, quite a bit, of hope in that sentence.  
  
"Maybe." Julia held his hand for a moment. "Have a safe trip home, Lee."  
  
"Good luck getting Jarod back, Julia," he answered.  
  
She walked away and to the exit of the eatery. Angel was waiting there, leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed and a wide grin on her face. "Well well," she said. "I was wondering about last night. It's about time, if you ask me."  
  
"Pardon me?", Julia asked.  
  
"We all deserve someone," Angel said. "Maybe it doesn't last, maybe it does, but why not enjoy it when it's there?" She smiled with genuine warmth. "I'm happy for you. Rob would be too."  
  
"Thank you," was all that Julia could say in response. "but I think we need to focus on the matter at hand now?"  
  
"Lead the way, O fearless leader," Angel opined with some exaggerated affectation in her voice.  
  
  
  
  
The air-van Lennier had acquired was now stuffed to capacity. He sat in the front with Meridina, the second row was for Julia, Angel, and Sydney, and the third row of seats had Thrace, Anders, and Kasszas, who now held a walking stick in his clawed hands. The two Colonials gave careful looks toward the blind Zigonian. To their surprise, he seemed to know the looks he was getting. "It is always best to remember that Creation is a varied existence, made of diversity of all forms of life. Harmony is found in acceptance."  
  
"Uh… works for me, I guess," Thrace said, a lopsided grin coming to her face.  
  
They were driving on to the spaceport when Meridina looked to Lennier. "I believe we have met, have we not?"  
  
"We were not directly introduced," he answered. "But I saw you briefly on _Babylon-5_."  
  
"You had come to join President Sheridan's escort to Minbar," Meridina said. "And now you are here. And no longer an _anla'shok_."  
  
"No, I am not," he answered. A distant look came to his eyes. Meridina felt the shame swelling inside of him. "I am no longer worthy of being an _anla'shok_."  
  
"And yet you have acted in the best traditions of that order," Meridina pointed out. "You came to our aid freely, without offer of compensation or reward."  
  
Lennier glanced her way. "It seemed the right thing to do."  
  
"So it did." Meridina looked away for a moment. She could see this conversation was not going anywhere. She understood it as well; Lennier's past, his feelings of shame and disgrace, were his burden, and he did not wish to discuss it. She needed to respect that.  
  
Julia looked up from her multidevice. "I just sent Zaeed a message to meet us at the spaceport."  
  
"Have you found a ship to take us yet?", Angel asked.  
  
Julia sighed and shook her head. "I was hoping the Shahams could help, but the _Eagle_ is off escorting refugee convoys in S4W8."  
  
"What about our other friends?"  
  
"They're all assigned to Alliance operations." Julia shook her head. "The way things are looking, we'll need to contract a private ship."  
  
"You could call Beth," Angel pointed out. "She might have a ship available."  
  
Julia shook her head. "If I have to. But I don't want to get her in any trouble with the Alliance."  
  
"Creation has guided us together for this purpose," Kasszas stated. "Creation will guide us to a vessel."  
  
Angel looked at the Zigonian with a little confusion on her face. "I thought Zigonians were Catholic?"  
  
To that, Kasszas made a recurring hissing sound that seemed to be chuckling. "As a child I initially thought all Humans were soulless materialists. Creation is made up of individuals, Lieutenant, and individuals create diversity by their very existence. Such is the will of Creation and its Universe."  
  
"A most curious philosophy," said Meridina. She looked back at the Zigonian. "I sense you have a vibrant _swevyra_ of your own."  
  
"We are all bonded to Creation in our own way." Kasszas breathed a little hiss. "The Harmonious Val-Drillim are only one of many beliefs that are in the Conciliation of Tsorra-Mahl Harmonies." The hissing sound in the name "Tsorra-Mahl" was a peculiar one, not repeatable with non-Zigonian tongues.  
  
"Including the Catholic ones?", Angel asked.  
  
"You speak of the Holy Scale Nomads," Kasszas answered. "You have met them and their great tree-ships?"  
  
"Uh… no," answered Angel, sharing a quizzical look with the other Humans in the van. "Never seen a tree-ship."  
  
"We have a Zigonian crewman on our ship," Julia explained. "He is understudying with our chaplain. And is doing good, from what Padre Mann says, except for that incident with the incense…" She shook her head. "Anyway, I need to focus on finding us a ride."  
  
"And I must consult about finding another _swevyra'se_ , if possible," Meridina said. "Miss Parker has hired two mercenaries given into the darkness. I would be remiss to try and fight both."  
  
"I believe I may know of some assistance with that," said Lennier. "I shall leave you at the spaceport and return with further help."  
  
That made Meridina and Julia very curious, but they said nothing on the matter.  
  
Angel looked over at Sydney. "Are you okay?", she asked.  
  
He looked at her, a distant and haunted look in his eyes. "I am, I suppose," he said. "I'm simply concerned for Jarod. The Centre will not be gentle with him. And I'm worried about how we'll find him."  
  
"Knowing Jarod, we may not have to," Angel said. She attempted an encouraging grin. "We'll find him. And we'll get him back."  
  
What she didn't add verbally was the thought that went through her mind, causing Meridina to glance back at her with concern.  
  
 _And when I catch her, Miss Parker is a dead woman._  
  
  
  
  
Lennier left them as promised, beside the hangar where the Colonial Raptor was being kept. Julia had the feeling that their group had grown large enough that they were approaching the transport limitation for the craft. _Maybe I should just send Starbuck and Anders back to Lee and find another shuttle_ , she thought. But she resisted it; there was no guarantee that any ship she found would have a working transporter of any kind on it. The Raptor might not be able to get to Earth by jumps, but it would provide them a working ride down, and given the sensor upgrades that had been performed on the Colonial Raptor fleet, it might even hide their presence electronically.  
  
 _It's still going to be nearly standing-room only_.  
  
"I'm going to do preflight checks," said Thrace. She looked them over. "Anders will be my ECO for the flight, wherever we end up going."  
  
"I'm leaving it in your capable hands," Julia said. She looked back to the others, who were all looking at the main door, and with good reason.  
  
Zaeed Massani had swapped into a set of battle armor, painted with a light orange, almost yellow color, with a visible grenade pouch on his belt and more grenades strapped to the belts slung over his shoulder. A sidearm was affixed to his hip and two rifles were on his back. "So, that's our ride?", he asked. "Goin' to be a God-amned cramped trip by the look of her."  
  
"That's our ride down from orbit to planetside," Julia answered. "I'm still lining up a ship to get us to Earth."  
  
Zaeed snorted at that. "You're really doin' this by the seat of your pants, aren't you? No prep time. Doesn't look good for our operation." Zaeed looked over the others. He smirked at seeing Kasszas. "Ah, the Blind Raptor is it? I probably owe you a drink. I cleaned up good on your fight tonight."  
  
Kass flicked his tongue. "You need not concern yourself. I was following the path laid by Creation, as we all do."  
  
"Yeah. Works for me, I guess." Zaeed moved on to Sydney. "What do we have here? You don't look like you're along to fight."  
  
"I'm here to help find Jarod in any way we can," Sydney replied. "If that means shooting a man… I've done it before."  
  
Zaeed looked Sydney eye to eye. "You have, haven't you?", the mercenary finally remarked. "Suits me. Just remember the right way to point the gun when the time comes." He looked to Julia again. "Is this it?"  
  
"We have one, maybe two more," she answered. "I'm going to make a call now about our ship. Or rather, she is." Julia looked to Angel.  
  
Angel got what she meant. "Hernan again?" A frown crossed her face. "I don't like relying on him too much, Julia. I…"  
  
The low thrum of an electric-motor bike made everyone turn. A young African woman rode it up to them, wearing a brown leather jacket and black trousers. She looked all business as she slid off the bike. "I've been sent to find you," she said, her voice thick with an accent that Julia thought to be Central African. "Hernan de Corelo wanted you to have this." She reached into her pocket and pulled an object out, which she tossed in an underhanded throw. The object arced in the air and Julia reached out to catch it.  
  
It was small, a sort of dirty white in color, and eminently recognizable. "This is a phaser power pack." She looked at the indicator on the bottom. "The charge has been used up."  
  
"The Syndicate attempted to abduct you tonight," said the woman. "Hernan and several associates didn't take kindly to it. A message has been sent. We thought you should know." She turned back to her electric bike.  
  
"Can you call him?", Julia asked. "We need a ship with an FTL drive that can get us to Earth, Universe A4P5."  
  
"That's a no-contact Earth," the woman noted. "Not many ship captains will risk breaking the Alliance's laws."  
  
"I'll use my personal code when we arrive at the quarantine perimeter," Julia said. "The ship will be logged as having a legitimate reason to be present. It'll be on my responsibility."  
  
For a moment there was silence. "One moment," she said. "I will make the call."  
  
Angel was still frowning. "I don't like this, Julia," she insisted.  
  
"You're the one who went to him first," Julia reminded her.  
  
"For information. But you're accepting favors from him now," Angel pointed out. "And guys like Hernan, they keep tabs on their favors. He'll want to be repaid in the future."  
  
"I'll deal with that when it comes," Julia said. "But the longer we wait, the more likely something happens to Jarod. I can't let that happen."  
  
A minute later the woman came back up to them. "Hernan knows a captain, they owe him a favor. They'll do the job."  
  
"Are they landed here on the port, or do we have to fly up to them?', Julia asked.  
  
"Hanger 8J," the woman answered. She went back to her bike and rode off.  
  
As she did so, the air-van pulled back up and came to a stop. Lennier emerged from the driver side. On the opposite side another figure stepped out and rounded the front of the vehicle.  
  
She was a Dorei, a rich blue skin complexion with light purple spotlines running along her hairline and down her neck. Bright purple eyes looked them over and a self-assured smile crossed dark blue lips. Her face was oval-shaped and pretty in that way Dorei shared with Humans. Her clothes were a black leather jacket over a _tamasa_ , a Dorei tube top-like garment, this one colored bright green with a cyan stripe running horizontally along the middle. The tube top started below the shoulders and stopped just above her waist. Her visible skin at the waist showed a hint of muscular definition beyond simply being flat. On each hip was a hilt pointed downward.  
  
The Dorei looked them over. Julia got the sense she was doing more than looking, which was somewhat confirmed when the Dorei girl nodded politely to Meridina. " _Swevyra'se_ ," she said.  
  
Meridina nodded back. " _Fenari_."  
  
"What's that mean?", Angel asked, bewildered.  
  
"It is 'Gifted' in the English Human tongue," the Dorei girl said, her accent in English sounding like a mishmash of Hawaiian and Spanish. "For many Dorei, the gifts of the _swevyra'se_ of Gersal are seen as derived from the Eternal Goddess, or whatever god or gods they worship, and we are known as the Gifted." The young woman nodded. "I am Druni Jestani."  
  
"Did you belong to an Order?", asked Meridina.  
  
"I was a Sentinel of the Silver Moon," answered Druni. "But I felt my destiny was elsewhere. I am a _Paman_ , though, not a _Laytar_ , I assure you."  
  
"She means she was not cast out, but left her Order in good standing," Meridina explained to the others.  
  
"Whatever," Zaeed said. He waved a hand dismissively. He looked at Julia. "You got that ship we need, right? I'll be stowin' gear on the assault craft, call if things go tits up."  
  
"I will stay as well," replied Kasszas.  
  
"Alright." Julia motioned to the van. "We've got to visit another hanger. A ride is supposed to be waiting for us there. I hope everyone's gotten their things together."  
  
"Of course." Lennier nodded. "I am ready to depart at any time."  
  
"I carry my things with me," Druni added. "So I'm good to go."  
  
"You can come with us to meet this captain, then," said Julia. She looked to Angel and Meridina. "Angel, do you mind staying with the others to prep the Raptor?"  
  
Angel nodded. She could see the look on Julia's face and knew what she really meant: _Stay with the others so you can come after us if this is a trap of some kind._  
  
Without another word Julia climbed into the van, this time taking the passenger seat beside Lennier while Meridina joined Druni in the back seat. They rode off to take the short trip to Hanger 8J.  
  
  
  
  
Hours of tension had built up, leaving Jarod feeling mentally and physically strained even as he continued his scribbling. He kept glancing toward his captive father and sister, still bound to chairs and wired up for Lyle to torture at his whim. Lyle still had his hands on the control device, his finger stroking the surface of the dial whenever Jarod looked.  
  
Lyle had always been a sociopathic monster, but the past year had made him much worse. At least before he had been in control of his impulses. Now he looked like a demented monster straining to break from his leash. Every fiber of his being seemed bent upon inflicting pain and indulging in other base emotions.  
  
"I'm starting to run out of patience, Jarod," Lyle remarked. "Maybe you need more incentive…"  
  
"That's not…"  
  
But it was too late. Lyle twisted the dial. Charles and Emily seized up, muffled screams coming through the duct tape placed over their lips. After several seconds Lyle turned the dial again and the shocking ended. Satisfied glee crossed his face. "I hope you've written something worthwhile," he said to Jarod.  
  
"It's the basics of subspace physics," Jarod answered. "Understanding of this science will put the Centre decades ahead of anything on Earth."  
  
Lyle looked at him with a glower. "Oh, isn't that special. Except that's not what I was asking for, was it?"  
  
"But you need to have this knowledge to…"  
  
The dial turned again. Jarod felt sick to his stomach at seeing his father and Emily suffer at Lyle's hands.  
  
As they tried to scream through the duct tape gags, Lyle laughed. "Oh Jarod, are you really going to do this? You're stalling for time, aren't you? Hoping for your friends to come rescue you. But let's face it, they wouldn't know where to look, would they, and even if they did… the _moment_ they show up by that door, I'm turning this thing on full blast. Your dear sister and daddy will be dead in _seconds_. Now…" He turned the dial off again. Emily and Charles were slumped in their chairs, chests heaving as they caught their breath. "...we want the weapons, Jarod. We want the invisibility devices, the rayguns, whatever it is that lets you blip around. And we want them _now_."  
  
Jarod glared at Lyle, his eyes full of hatred and disgust in equal measure. His frown deepened. "Alright," he said. "I can draw plans, but I need to know what materials you have available."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because that's how I know what you can actually build." Jarod had forced patience dripping from every word.  
  
"And it's certainly not so you can build a radio or a beacon, right?" Lyle moved his hand back to the dial.  
  
Jarod's hand shot up, palm out and down, as if he could use the motion of his hand to bring Lyle's hand away from the dial. "This won't have any parts that can be used for something like that," Jarod insisted. "You can ask any engineer."  
  
Lyle snarled and was clearly in deep thought, which didn't seem as easy now he was so out of control. He about ground his teeth together before uttering a frustrated " _Fine_." He looked to the guards. "One of you go get the message to His Lordship. A list of all our available electronics."  
  
The guard nearest Lyle nodded and slipped out the door.  
  
Lyle's hand snaked up toward the control. "Just so you don't get any ideas, Jarod…"  
  
Jarod protested with a "No!", but it did nothing. The dial was turned again. Not as far this time, however, although Charles and Emily began to shake and tremble in the chairs again. They were in clear pain.  
  
"One wrong move, it gets turned up," Lyle warned.  
  
" _This isn't necessary!_ ," Jarod shouted. "You don't have to hurt them!"  
  
"Oh, but I do!", Lyle countered. " _Because it hurts you!_ " He smiled widely at that. "And that's all I've wanted to do for years."  
  
Jarod looked to his father and sister. Their eyes were focused on him, pleading with him for help while the electric current continued to run through their bodies.  
  
But there was nothing he could do for them. Nothing to stop this from happening, not right now. Tears of frustration flowed down his cheeks at watching their torment and knowing he was helpless to stop it.  
  
Lyle saw the tears.  
  
And he laughed.  
  
  
  
  
One floor up, in a well-furnished conference room that fit more with an urban skyrise than a secretive facility in the middle of the northern Cascades, Miss Parker was with Mister Raines and His Lordship. And they were all watching the live feed of Jarod and Lyle. Miss Parker frowned, finishing a drag on her second cigarette since this had started. "He's gone off the deep end, hasn't he?"  
  
"We felt compelled to give Mister Lyle an… _exhaustive_ debriefing," His Lordship answered, the pause in the line coming like he was trying to find the right euphemism for "prolonged torture". "His claims were outlandish until we could fully confirm them."  
  
"He was always a sick bastard, but now you've made him a rabid dog." Parker shook her head. "You should shoot him and put him out of our misery."  
  
"Perhaps." Mister Raines wheezed for a moment before continuing. "But he still has his uses. His plan for breaking Jarod's spirit is working."  
  
"Poor buggers," Y'tala muttered. "Killin' a man's family to get 'im to talk, I can get behind that if it's business. Torturin' the poor kittens, though? That's low."  
  
Dralan smirked. "On the contrary, I find it… invigorating." The Gersallian's smile was sinister. "I can feel the rage and hatred and pure terror from here."  
  
Not for the first time did Miss Parker regret hiring Dralan, but she said nothing on the matter. She looked over to a second monitor, showing her father sitting on a bed, waiting patiently.  
  
"How much longer until I can take my father and leave?", she asked.  
  
"Soon enough," His Lordship replied.  
  
"Why are you in such a hurry, Parker?", Raines asked. "Perhaps you are concerned Jarod's friends will come for him?"  
  
"It's always possible," she answered. "But you don't need me to tell you that."  
  
"We want our worth from Jarod, then your father can go free, I assure you." His Lordship frowned at Raines. "Whatever some of my _subordinates_ may say to the contrary."  
  
Raines took in a raspy breath and seemed to ignore the comment.  
  
Miss Parker didn't care either way. She frowned at the screen showing Jarod, and hoped that this would be over soon. She'd come too far, burnt too many bridges, to fail now.  
  
  
  
  
Hanger 8J was one of the largest for the New Liberty spaceport, big enough that Julia figured the _Koenig_ would easily fit if necessary. It was at the end of a line of similarly-sized hangers that had been built years ago, during the Facility days, to accommodate their growing fleet of cargo transports and large spaceliners.  
  
The main door of the hanger was closed, so they went to a secondary door. Julia hit the door chime, and then a second time before the door opened and a man with a dark complexion answered. "Yes?", he asked, his accent generally Indian in tone. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"I'm here to see your captain. Hernan de Corelo referred me," she answered. Behind her Lennier, Druni, and Meridina stood patiently.  
  
The man remained silent for a moment. "Very well," he finally said. "Come in." He opened the door fully, revealing that he was wearing a black-and-gold suit that looked to be from M4P2.  
  
Julia led the others into the hanger. The vessel present completed the impression created by the man's appearance; it was also clearly an M4P2-derived design, apparently a civilianized equivalent of a Systems Alliance frigate design, but now with warp nacelles affixed to the ends of the drive wings on either side. The hull was gold-and-black like the man's suit, with a configurable support brace holding the ship in place. The cargo ramp was below the main body, facing the front, again like a Systems Alliance frigate.  
  
Standing at the bottom of the ramp was a woman in a black and white suit. The suit was virtually a catsuit, skin tight, and doing nothing to hide her figure. Striking blue eyes looked them over while dark hair cascaded around her shoulders. Her face had been dabbed with some makeup, its features apportioned evenly around a round-shaped face.  
  
A slight tinge of jealousy went through Julia. This woman was stunningly, unbelievably good-looking, like she had been crafted instead of born.  
  
"Hello," she said to them. Her accent was Australian and her tone betrayed confidence. "Mister Corelo said you needed a lift? What specifics are there?"  
  
"Yes. We need to get to Earth, Universe A4P5, and back. We're recovering a friend that was taken there against his will" Julia motioned behind her. "We've got a craft that can go from orbit to the ground, and it should fit in your cargo bay."  
  
"I see." The woman looked them over. "Well, I have a favor owed to the man, so I'd like to discharge it. But A4P5 is a restricted world. There's a United Systems exclusion zone around the system enforced by sensor buoys tied into their local fleet control. The moment they read us going through a starship will be sent in to stop us."  
  
"I'll provide you the necessary code to get in without setting the alarms off," Julia promised. "You don't have to worry about prosecution."  
  
"Well, that does change things," the woman said. She extended a hand. "My name is Yvonne, and I'm the captain of this vessel, the _Tainaron_."  
  
Julia took the hand and shook it.  
  
"That is an interesting name," remarked Meridina.  
  
"It's from Greek, actually. It's another name for Cape Matapan." Yvonne brought her left forearm up. An omnitool flashed to life around it. Her right hand tapped something on the omnitool's controls. "Prep the ship for launch, we're going to leave."  
  
" _Yes ma'am_ ," a voice replied.  
  
"I'll get in contact with the ships in orbit, there has to be someone willing to generate a jump point for us," Yvonne said. "In the meantime, welcome aboard. We'll rendezvous with your craft once we're in orbit."  
  
Julia nodded. She watched Yvonne turn away and go back up the ramp before turning to face the others. "That was easy."  
  
"Perhaps too easy," Lennier mused.  
  
"Perhaps she wishes to clear her debt with Corelo?", Meridina speculated.  
  
"Keep your eyes open, then," Julia said. "But we've got our ship, and I'm going to take what we've been given." She held up her multidevice and keyed Angel. "We've got our ship. M4P2 design, the _Tainaron_. Have Starbuck fly you into orbit for the rendezvous."  
  
" _We're on our way_ ," Angel answered.  
  
The four stepped up into the cargo bay of the ship. They found seats along the side, for workbenches, and used them for the moment.  
  
Meridina looked to Lennier and Druni. "I am curious as to how you met each other?"  
  
"I was exploring in E5B1," Druni replied. "I went to a small border system near the Minbari, Human, and Centauri frontiers. It was a rough place and there was a fight." She nodded to Lennier. "Lennier came to my aid."  
  
"So you're traveling together/"  
  
"In a general sense, yes," Lennier said. "Although I do not believe we have any permanent arrangements to do so."  
  
"I go where it feels right," Drruni said. "Ever since I left the Silver Moon."  
  
Meridina nodded. "I see." She looked to Druni's belt. "Those weapons, they are _runari_?"  
  
"No. These are short-blades. _Tenari_." Druni drew one and flicked the trigger in the hilt. There was a sharp, metallic sound as memory metal flowed up and hardened into a curved blade about fifty centimeters long.  
  
Julia saw that interested Meridina. "I have not seen _tenari_ before," she said. "So you are a practitioner of _Tasa Duria_?"  
  
Druni smiled and nodded. "I am."  
  
"And that is?", Julia asked.  
  
"It is a sword-fighting technique among some of the Dorei nations," Meridina said.  
  
"The rough English translation would be 'Cyclone of Fury'," Druni added. "It is a dual-handed style. From my travels, I believe you Humans have a few styles like it. I recall being on one of your Earths, in a place called Cebu, where I saw men fighting with sticks in a similar way."  
  
"Arnis, or eskrima," Julia said. "It's a Human martial arts style that focuses on training to fight with weapons in both hands."  
  
"I see. Perhaps it is similar to that, but with memory metal blades." Druni caused her _tenari_ blade to retract and fixed it back to her hip.  
  
"It is a very difficult style to master," Meridina noted. "And Lennier told you of our issue?"  
  
"We will face Fallen _Fenari_." Druni nodded. "It sounds like a good challenge."  
  
"A deadly one," Meridina corrected.  
  
A smirk crossed the young Dorei woman's face. "Those are the good ones," she countered.  
  
Meridina's usually-stoic demeanor was broken by the flash of irritation that went through it.  
  
Julia sighed. A rumble in the ship told her the main engines were coming online. They were about to launch. The rescue mission was officially getting underway. _Well, we've got a team. A strange team in a lot of ways, but it's a team. Let's hope it's enough._  
  
  
  
  
The relative quiet of the conference room in the Centre facility ended when the door opened. Everyone turned to see Kang enter without a word. "We told you only two," Raines rasped at Miss Parker.  
  
"I won't be long, I just need to speak to Miss Parker," Kang said, glancing toward the wheelchair-bound man. His voice was almost toneless, no real emotion coming from it.  
  
"Whatever you feel you need to say to Miss Parker, you can say to us," His Lordship stated.  
  
Kang gave Parker a look. She nodded. "Wolff wants to know the hold-up," Kang said. "He only has so much reactant fuel, and if he runs low on energy he won't be able to keep his stealth system active. Alliance sensor buoys would be able to detect his drives' subspace signature."  
  
"Then have him take the drives offline," Miss Parker replied.  
  
"He's reluctant to do that," Kang answered. "A drive restart could take hours."  
  
"Then tell him it's an _order_ ," Miss Parker hissed, getting close and glaring at Kang.  
  
Kang brought a hand up, his fingers spread out, and he shook his head. "He wants to hear it from you."  
  
Miss Parker narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Problems with the help?", Raines asked.  
  
She turned her head and glared at Raines. "A minor issue. I'll go handle it and be right back."  
  
"It would be an undermining of trust, I think, for you to just… disappear at this juncture," His Lordship insisted.  
  
"And yet you still have my father hidden away." Parker gestured to the relevant screen. "So you've got leverage. And I don't think you want Jarod's friends showing up. They've got a big damn spaceship, a lot of guns, and the technology to track the Centre across the planet. Especially if Jarod's been sharing that data he took from you last year. If that ship shows up in orbit, your only chance of surviving it will be to hand Jarod back politely with an apology and a smile."  
  
"You overestimate them," Raines said.  
  
"No, you underestimate them," Parker retorted. "I've seen the technology the Multiverse has to offer. They could have troops transporting down to every Centre safehouse, warehouse, and office location within minutes of arriving in orbit. They'll find and hack all of your satellites within five minutes, tops, of coming into range. And if you make them hunt for Jarod they're going to make you regret it. These people can and will destroy the core of the Centre in an afternoon if given the chance. I want my father back and I don't want to go to jail, so I don't want to give them that chance, Raines. And don't think they won't haul you off too."  
  
Raines glowered. He looked to His Lordship, who was clearly considering Parker's argument. "Ten minutes," he said. "Then I expect you back here, or we will assume treachery."  
  
"I'll be back before then," she insisted.  
  
With Kang in front, she followed him at a brisk pace out of the facility and over toward the ship. "What's the problem?", she asked once they were well out of earshot of the Centre's guards.  
  
"I just received a message from contacts at New Liberty," Kang said. "Jarod's friends are on the way."  
  
Miss Parker scowled. "Dammit, I was hoping for more time, that they'd have to wait for their President to…"  
  
"It's not the _Aurora_ ," Kang said. "They're gone. Called away on some mission. My contact says it's a small team, not much larger than our own. Commander Andreys from the _Aurora_ is leading it."  
  
"The blonde." Miss Parker pulled out another cigarette and lit it up. "Anything else?"  
  
"She's bringing the Gersallian chief of security with her, and Angel Delgado. Plus help."  
  
"Sydney?"  
  
"The old man? Yes. And others they picked up. My contacts can confirm one of them is Zaeed Massani."  
  
Kang said the name like it meant something. It didn't to Miss Parker, and as she inhaled a drag from her cigarette her eyes made that clear. "Who?"  
  
"A known mercenary and bounty hunter, one of the best from M4P2. We don't know much about the others, though."  
  
"Still…" Miss Parker considered it. "Tell Wolff to fake shutting down his engines. We're going to have to leave in a hurry."  
  
"What's your plan?"  
  
"Find where they're keeping my father, take him, and let the Centre and the Alliance sort themselves out after we leave," she replied.  
  
Kang nodded. "Good plan. I'll see about giving Wolff a fix on the signal for your father's location. It'll take a few hours."  
  
"Just make sure it's done before they get here," Miss Parker insisted. "Now I need to get back in."  
  
"Of course," the man nodded. He watched quietly as Miss Parker re-entered the building.  
  
  
  
  
  
The moment Jarod had the list he'd demanded, he started writing and scribbling again. Making advanced technology with these parts would be just about impossible without the high quality batteries found in things like multidevices and pulse pistols. But he knew he had to give something soon, or Lyle would gleefully start torturing his sister and brother again.  
  
And Jarod couldn't let that happen.  
  
He did manage something. It would provide a reasonable energy shield generator. And if the generator itself died, the power could be diverted to other means. Means that Jarod had intentions for.  
  
But for now the most important thing was survival. And that meant keeping Lyle appeased.  
  
Lyle's intent stare was distracted by a ringing tone in his pocket. He reached in and pulled out a cell phone. "Lyle," he answered.  
  
Jarod intentionally paid no attention as Lyle spoke with a voice on the other end. "Are you sure?", he said. "I'll have to… alright, I understand." Lyle hung up and looked to Jarod. "I want progress on that by the time I get back," he demanded. He looked to the guards and nodded. One produced a pair of handcuffs. Jarod did nothing as the cuffs were used to secure Jarod's ankle to the chair he was sitting in. Lyle grinned and looked back to Charles and Emily. "While I'm gone, let's give you a chance to talk to your family." With rapid movements he ripped the duct tape gags off, eliciting brief cries of shock and pain from his captives. "Don't worry, I've got fresh pieces for later." Lyle brandished, from near his chair, a fresh roll of duct tape. "See you soon." With a chuckle still coming from his throat, Lyle traipsed out of the room.  
  
"Dad. Emily." Jarod looked up from where he was working. "I'm sorry you got caught up in this. It's all my fault for not finding you."  
  
"No. Jarod, no." His father's English accent was now hoarse from his state. The hours of on and off torture had done their terrible work on him most of all. "This is their fault, not your's."  
  
Jarod's face twisted into an expression of pain and shame. The feelings of the last few terrible hours now bubbled to the surface, the feelings of blame over his failure to find his family. He had gotten so devoted to the work on the _Aurora_ , to what they were doing, that he hadn't given his family the attention they deserved. Tears formed in his eyes at the intensity of that thought. "No," he said. "It is mine. I should have done something about this years ago. I should have come and found you."  
  
"And what then?", Charles asked. "The Centre would have found you too."  
  
"No," Jarod said. "No, they couldn't have. I could take you somewhere that the Centre could never follow."  
  
"How?", Emily asked. "And… what's Lyle even talking about? Rayguns, invisibility devices… what's going on, Jarod? Are these things you made for them?"  
  
The bewilderment and worry in his sister's voice was evident. She'd endured the torture better than Charles, but the confusion about what was going on was worse for her.  
  
Jarod looked back to the schematic he was drafting. He started to work on it again. He knew, he damn well knew, that no matter what he did, Lyle would turn the damn machine back on when he got back, just for the fun of it. But he had his own reasons for completing this device as soon as it could be done.  
  
Once he was sure the drawing was accurate, he looked back at Emily. "You won't believe what's going on," he said. "Not until I show you."  
  
"Of course I'd believe you," Emily protested.  
  
"We know you won't lie to us, Jarod," Charles insisted.  
  
Jarod sighed and shook his head as he drew the illustration of where wiring should go on his schematic. Once this vital part was done he looked back up. "For over three years, I haven't even lived on this Earth," he said.  
  
They stared.  
  
"There's a Multiverse out there," he continued. "Earths centuries more advanced than our own. And a group of well-meaning people came to our world looking to help, and ended up saving me after that terrorist attack in Pasadena a few years ago." He stopped, letting them process that information while he did more drawing. "I've been working with them since. Hoping to find a way to find you without the Centre catching on." He let out a sigh. "Granted, I had no idea that the Alliance would forbid traffic to our Earth for not being advanced enough to risk contact. That's made coming back a little complicated."  
  
"You're… you're telling us… you've been living in outer space?"  
  
Hearing the disbelief in Emily's voice, Jarod nodded. "On a ship called the _Aurora_ ," he explained. "I've been serving as the ship's Operations Officer. I even helped build her." A little grin came to his face. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Jarod now."  
  
"You're Pretending, then?", Charles asked.  
  
"No, Dad, I'm not." Jarod shook his head. "I don't Pretend anymore. This is who I am now. What I do." His eyes lowered. "And it's why I'm to blame for this. I got so caught up in my new life that I could never make the time to come back and try to look for you."  
  
"I… I don't blame you," Charles said. "I've been on the run too long to blame you for finding a new life where you didn't have to run."  
  
"But I could have found you given time, and I didn't take it. I didn't insist on it like I should have!", Jarod shouted. "And now you're here at the mercy of a monster. All because of me."  
  
The others were temporarily speechless. So much had been said, and Jarod's claims on where he'd been were so unbelievable, that they were having trouble processing it. He could see Emily even wondering if he had gone mad.  
  
"These friends of yours," she finally said. "They're not going to abandon you, are they?"  
  
The question cut through the guilt and Jarod's attention on his schematic. Even if the truth was so pleasantly evident he didn't need to remark on it. "No," he said. "Never. They're coming, I'm sure of it. They're coming right now."  
  
And so he continued to work, banking on just that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jarod faces the Centre for the future of his family.

A quiet corner of the _Tainaron_ 's crew area served for Meridina's meditation. She sat on the floor, legs crossed and hands in her lab, quietly focused on the universe through her _swevyra_ \- her life force.  
  
But it wasn't like it normally was. The kernel of darkness implanted in her by Amaunet was still there, the lingering remnants of Amaunet's arrogance, rage, and hatred. Meridina kept her attention away from it lest she remember the rampage Amaunet had unleashed. With the fight to come, she couldn't afford to dwell on that right now, to let that shame and doubt enter her and degrade her strength. Not again a _swevyra'kse_.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
Meridina looked up upon hearing the accented voice. Druni stood nearby, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. Her own energy settled comfortably around her.  
  
"I can feel fear," Druni said. "Doubt. I've… never felt that in a _swevyra'se_ before."  
  
Meridina lowered her eyes in shame. It seemed she wasn't controlling it as much as she would prefer. "I did not feel such things until recently," she admitted.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I was possessed by an alien parasite called a Goa'uld," Meridina answered. "It turned my _swevyra_ toward darkness. It felt rage and hatred, and it used me to kill."  
  
The image in her head returned. Of her own _lakesh_ biting into Lucy's neck, the desperate determination on her student's face as she fought to hold the blade back while blood poured from the wound on her head and the cut in her leg. She remembered Lucy's pain, her sorrow, at having to run Meridina through to stop Amaunet.  
  
Druni's eyes reflected her compassion for Meridina's pain. "I have heard stories of my fellow Sisters being turned against us by slavers using neural override implants. I can only imagine the suffering you endured."  
  
"Thank you." Meridina looked up at her. "Why did you leave the Silver Moon?"  
  
"I had a dispute with the Order. A doctrinal issue," Druni said.  
  
"I see." Meridina nodded.  
  
Their conversation might have gone on, but there was a call over the PA. " _Commander Andreys, please report to the command deck_ ," Yvonne said.  
  
"Looks like we're almost there," Druni remarked. She ceased to lean against the wall. "I will go tend to my pre-battle exercises."  
  
Meridina responded with another nod. She turned her attention inward yet again and resumed her meditations.  
  
  
  
  
Julia took the elevator and stairs up to the command deck. The initial area, at about the midway point of the deck, was devoted to some of the recreational space. Network communication terminals and computer systems for the crew flanked both sides. Perhaps a bit more than necessary, given the size of the crew. Julia found it all curious.  
  
The front of the ship was dominated by a large holographic galactic map, zoomed in on their local space. Yvonne sat in a chair in front of the map - beyond it were two crewmen. The ship's pilots, Julia figured. Crewmen also held stations to either side for, presumably, sensors and communications.  
  
"We're coming up on the perimeter of the Alliance exclusion zone," Yvonne said. "I need your access code."  
  
Julia nodded and went over to communications, where an Asian woman was seated. She nodded and turned her seat to get out, allowing Julia to sit there. The hard-light controls were similar to those she had used before and it wasn't hard for her to open a communication line to the sensor buoys. She put in her command code.  
  
Moments later the hardlight viewscreen showed a new display. The system had accepted the code.  
  
"We're clear," Julia said, turning the chair and then standing from it. As its former occupant reclaimed her place, Julia stepped up beside Yvonne. Below and in front of her, the pilot continued to monitor their systems as the ship continued on its way, warp engines thrumming through the ship. "Well, you are," she corrected. Seeing Yvonne's curious look, Julia added, "Depending how this goes, I may have just earned myself a court-martial."  
  
"That would be a mistake on the Alliance's part." Yvonne actually looked sympathetic. "Frankly, Commander, if they do something like that, they're just asking you to find superior employment elsewhere. There are all kinds of organizations that could use a woman of your ability."  
  
Julia smiled with some amusement. "You wouldn't happen to be trying to recruit me into whatever sort of underground, sometimes illegal work you normally do, would you Yvonne?"  
  
"You might be surprised at the opportunities out there," she said. "And at what I am normally employed at. No offense was meant, however, merely an observation. I wanted you to know that there are good causes that could use you if the Alliance turns its back on you."  
  
"I'll remember that," Julia said. "I'm going to get the others ready now."  
  
"Of course. I'll let you know when we make orbit."  
  
  
  
  
With Julia getting the others together, Angel ended up being the one to rouse Kasszas. She found the Zigonian in a spare room, sitting on the floor in a meditative pose. Remembering what had happened to poor Petty Officer Dougal when he'd entered the holodeck while Crewman Thalaz was using it, Angel had been holding her breath and took a very careful, very short breath.  
  
"I am not burning incense, or any other such thing," Kasszas said.  
  
"Just making sure."  
  
"Of course. I am aware of how Humans are affected by our practices." Kasszas flicked his tongue. "And I sense we are about to arrive at our destination."  
  
"We're about half an hour out," Angel confirmed. "I'm making sure you're ready."  
  
"I am always ready. And I sense your view of such a claim. It is not mere bravado." The Zigonian raised a single, taloned claw. "Through Creation I may sense such things that my eyes do not behold. I am of Creation and Creation is within me."  
  
Angel nearly said something about that, but stopped. Something of it kindled a thought in her. It sounded so much like the things Robert talked about, how his new powers worked.  
  
"Your people can.. do things, right? See things, feel them.. move objects with their minds?"  
  
That rapid hissing chuckle answered. "That is not the way of the Harmonious Val-Drillim, but there are others in the Tsorra-Mahl who have teachings like that." Kasszas seemed to ponder something. "I sense you have a question?"  
  
"Is it…" Angel sighed. She couldn't hold the question back, even though a part of herr wanted to. "...Is it possible for someone with such a… thing, such powers… to get them removed?"  
  
For a moment the Zigonian was silent. "Such a bizarre question. Is is like me asking you if you would like your own eyes to be plucked from your head."  
  
"That's not an answer."  
  
"True." Kasszas put his clawed hands together. "The answer is that I do not now. I have never heard of such a thing being done. I sense this answer displeases you?"  
  
It did, as much as Angel tried to hide it. "I was hoping to hear some way to get rid of it. So someone I care for can be free from it."  
  
"One is never 'free' from Creation. We are all part of it."  
  
"This isn't about your beliefs," Angel shot back, her voice vehement. "It's about the fact that ever since he realized he can do this stuff, it's started to take over his life. And he has enough responsibilities."  
  
Kasszas flicked his tongue again. "I see. And you care for him?"  
  
"I _love_ him," Angel insisted.  
  
"No, you do not."  
  
That brought the Zigonian a harsh glare that he could not see. Angel's nostrils flared. "What?", she asked bluntly, with deceptive calm in the question.  
  
"To love is to accept. But you do not accept." It was clear the Zigonian could feel the flare of anger in her. "Your love is not for a person but a mere phantom. An idea of a person that does not actually exist. This is why you seek to take his link to Creation away, as if it could be done. Your idea of him is of the him that existed before he realized his connection to the whole of Creation. Now he has changed, and you no longer accept what he has become. You no longer love him."  
  
Angry silence filled the air between them. Kasszas, his observations made, simply turned inward again.  
  
Angel snarled and nearly barked a hot denial. It died in her throat, becoming a growl of "Crazy Goddamned lizard" as she stepped away and left Kasszas to himself.  
  
  
  
  
Jarod had finished the schematic with seconds to spare.  
  
It hadn't kept Lyle from turning the dial again.  
  
This time he didn't bother with the duct tape. Charles and Emily's cries echoed through the room then, and they were doing so again while Jarod was working with the actual parts, now brought in by Lyle's order. "This takes time!", Jarod shouted, using a soldering gun and trying not to mess up while his family screamed in agony.  
  
The dial turned to the off position again. "Sick bastard," Emily muttered between the deep breaths she was making.  
  
Jarod looked up in time to see Lyle smack her across the face. He turned and smiled at Jarod. "You can go faster than that, Jarod. We know that."  
  
"No, you don't," Jarod growled in response. "Given what I have to work with, this has to be done just right, or it won't work!"  
  
"I'm not an idiot, Jarod!", Lyle screamed, the smile again gone from his face. "I know you're stalling! You're waiting for help! And it's not coming! Now get your ass in gear, do your job, or I'll make this look easy with the things I'll do to them."  
  
Jarod frowned and redoubled his efforts. He still had little firm knowledge of what time it was, or how long it'd been since he was abducted, but he knew it couldn't be long. And he had to be ready.  
  
  
  
  
In the Centre conference room, Miss Parker stood with Dralan and Y'tala as they watched Raines and His Lordship watch Jarod and the others. _I sense deception_ , Dralan communicated to Parker, mind-to-mind, a method of communication she frankly hated.  
  
 _Who? Where?_  
  
 _Around us. From you, certainly._  
  
 _Any luck on finding my father?_  
  
Dralan looked slightly toward Y'tala. The Mi'qote mercenary nodded and brought up the multidevice on her wrist. A message was written on it.  
  
 _I just found the beam transmission. It's coming from under us._  
  
Parker frowned. Of course. Her father had always been here. Hidden, right under her nose.  
  
Her mind raced, pondering what her next move would be. She gestured quietly to her own multidevice, prompting Y'tala to nod and begin a transmission to it, her findings and the approximate course of the beam and thus where it might be coming from.  
  
To avoid suspicion Parker put her eyes on the screen. Lyle was torturing Jarod's family again. He kept his eyes on Jarod, mostly, while one of the camera angles set behind Jarod still showed a good view of his face and the sadistic, mad gleam in his eye.  
  
If things went a certain way, Parker realized she would easily, _gladly_ , shoot him between the eyes.  
  
Dralan grabbed her arm. Parker looked at him in irritation. "What?", she demanded.  
  
"I sense them," he said. "They're here. They'll find us if I use my power."  
  
Parker frowned. Time was running out, and she needed to make the next move count. If she left, just up and left, it would send the wrong signal. But if she waited too long…  
  
"Get ready to move," she whispered.  
  
  
  
  
The _Tainaron_ was in far orbit of Earth, staying out of direct sight of satellites. Its own sensors were searching about for signs of the _Deadman's Hand_. Julia came to the command deck again to observe with Yvonne. "We can't detect signs of any vessels like your records show," she said. "But they could be hidden from sensors."  
  
"That's likely," she agreed. "So we need a different way of finding them." Julia looked back to where Meridina waited quietly. "Meridina, can you sense Jarod? Or that dark sweveera whatever?"  
  
Meridina shook her head. "I am afraid I sense nothing. Our quarry is hiding himself."  
  
"Well, we can't stay up here forever," Yvonne said. "You should launch your ship and get in closer."  
  
"Agreed." Julia offered a hand. "Thank you for the help."  
  
"Don't mention it, Captain," was the response she got. "And I've had my technicians give you a little extra help, something to deal with that vessel you're looking for. Captain Thrace already knows."  
  
Yvonne's remark prompted a nod from Julia, hiding her own increasing curiosity about this ship and its crew. The way they acted and moved… it wasn't military, precisely, but it wasn't what she'd expect from a band of smugglers either, or any other private cargo ship that would operate with the likes of Corelo. _They almost remind me of us, before the Alliance_ was the thought in her head.  
  
But there was no time for dwelling on these thoughts, not when they had a friend to rescue. Julia and Meridina walked away at a brisk pace toward the rear of the command deck.  
  
  
  
  
Several minutes later, the Raptor emerged from the launch deck after pushing through the mass effect-generated atmospheric containment field. Thrace was at the controls and Anders was beside her, looking over the electronics for the Colonial craft. Julia stood behind them, holding a bar along the side to keep herself steady, as the Raptor's inertial dampening systems were barely operative, having never been built to accommodate them.  
  
The passenger area of the Raptor was nearly overloaded. Kasszas took up a disproportionate amount of room, being the big reptile, with his stick in hand; and Zaeed being loaded for bear didn't have a small profile either. Meridina was wedged in with them on a bench. The second bench had Druni, Lennier, Sydney, and Angel. Angel was checking her pulse pistol.  
  
"You do not want to kill her," Kasszas said. A number of eyes looked his way.  
  
"Excuse me?" Angel frowned at him. The last thing she wanted was more prying from the strange blind reptile-man.  
  
"Miss Parker," he said. "You do not want to kill her."  
  
"Like hell I don't. I _promised_ to, in fact."  
  
Julia looked back at Angel, frowning. "What?"  
  
"When Jarod tried to make good with her last year, showing her the new home he'd arranged for her," Angel said. "I came with him, just in case. I could see it in her eyes then, that she wasn't giving up. And I told her I'd kill her if she hurt Jarod."  
  
"We still need to know how she put her team together," Julia reminded Angel. "We need her alive." Seeing the look in Angel's eyes, Julia immediately added, "That's an _order_."  
  
Angel didn't answer. She did glare at Kasszas.  
  
"She still has a role to play," the lizard explained.  
  
"And you know this because… 'Creation' tells you?", Angel asked, disbelief strong in her voice.  
  
All the Zigonian did in reply was make a sad noise.  
  
  
  
  
Jarod made the last internal connection on his new device. It looked like a block of metal attached to a metal colander with wires strewn everywhere, but the internals and the way the wire was arranged would create a fairly short-lived energy field.  
  
Lyle looked it over. "Is that _it_?", he asked incredulously.  
  
"You wanted something that works, didn't you?", Jarod asked, frowning. "It was never going to be pretty. Not with the tools you've given me."  
  
"And how do I know it works?"  
  
Jarod responded by flicking a switch. "Now try shooting me."  
  
Lyle chuckled. "Oh, and have it be some bizarre device that sends the bullet back into me? I don't think so." Lyle looked to one of his guards. "Shoot him. In the arm."  
  
The guard nodded, with maybe a little reluctance, and pulled a firearm. Jarod didn't flinch as it came up toward him. The gunshot echoed in the room, hurting his ears.  
  
But no bullet struck him. There was a flicker of energy in front of him and then a very slight sound from the floor. Everyone looked down to see the smashed bullet come to a stop after rolling a little on the floor.  
  
Emily stared, wide-eyed, at this. "That's not possible," she murmured.  
  
Lyle whistled. "Well!", he said. "There we go. Looks like we have a start." Lyle walked over and picked up the schematics and the device from Jarod's work area. "Next up, I want a raygun. I don't care what kind, but it'd better fire lasers or whatever you do instead of bullets."  
  
Jarod narrowed his eyes. "You don't have the materials."  
  
Lyle responded by raising his hand toward the dial.  
  
"Dammit Lyle, you don't have…" It was too late. The dial turned and Charles and Emily were crying out again as electricity surged into their bodies. "....that's not going to change things!", Jarod screamed. "You don't have the materials for me to build a weapon like that!"  
  
"Then list what we need!" Lyle stabbed a finger at the paper stack on Jarod's work area. "Do it now or I turn this up!" He turned it down, but not off, leaving Emily and Charles to suffer.  
  
Jarod started scribbling, trying to think of the things that would be available here, on an Earth at the start of the 21st Century.  
  
He couldn't afford to not cooperate. Not until he knew for sure that his plan had worked. All he could do was write and hope that someone would be in orbit soon, before the oversized battery pack on the shield generator gave out.  
  
Because an energy shield wasn't the _only_ thing it was capable of generating.  
  
  
  
  
The Raptor was keeping its distance in far orbit, roughly halfway between the start of the atmosphere and the _Tainaron_. "Still not… wait." Anders looked at his screen. "I've got something."  
  
"What?" Julia looked over at his screen. A ripple was appearing on it, coming from Earth.  
  
Anders looked it over. "It looks like a low-level radio transmission, VHF, being transmitted into orbit on one of the Alliance short-range radio bands."  
  
"What's in it?", Julia asked.  
  
"It looks like a series of pulses… the signal keeps cutting on and off."  
  
Julia looked at the display. "It's not being interfered with. It's doing that on purpose…" She grinned. "It's Morse code. Of course."  
  
"Morse code?", Anders asked. "What's that?"  
  
"It's an old system for transmitting messages as electric pulses down wires," Julia explained. "So many pulses of short and long duration meant a letter in the alphabet. It's why we call ship distress signals SOSes sometimes."  
  
"And do you know this code?"  
  
She nodded. "It's part of officer training. Just in case we need to communicate something discreetly, or without normal communication methods." She watched the pulses start and stop intermittently. "It's Jarod… he's being held somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Mountain area, eastern side. And.." As the next few words came through Julia breathed a sigh. "...they've got hostages. His family."  
  
"Hostage rescue's always a bitch," grumbled Zaeed.  
  
"I don't think we can fit more than two in here, not with everyone we've got," Starbuck said.  
  
"Then why don't we just take their ship too?", Druni asked. "You said the pilot stole it, right? I've never had an issue with stealing from a thief."  
  
"Is that why you left whatever order that was?", asked Angel.  
  
"No," she replied.  
  
"Taking their vessel will be difficult if they raise shields."  
  
"Well, it's a good thing the _Tainaron_ mounted a couple disruptor torpedoes on your bird," Zaeed remarked. "We've got the ordnance if they try that."  
  
Julia should have been happy to hear that. And she was… but it also brought back to mind her inkling that there was more to Yvonne and the _Tainaron_ than she had expected. Angel's warning about getting too deep with Hernan echoed in her head.  
  
"Can you give me a direction?", Thrace asked. Hearing her brought Julia out of her thoughts. She now wanted to smack herself for getting distracted from the matter at hand upon realizing she'd left the conversation behind. "We can't stay out here forever."  
  
"I'm trying," Anders said. The Raptor turned toward Earth. "Wait… I think I… have it." He grinned at Julia. "I've got it. I'm using the visual sensors now…" On his screen, the dawning sun was starting to throw light over the area, although the line of dawn was just starting to reach Spokane. The screen zoomed in on the eastern side of the Cascades until it showed a facility in the middle of the countryside, built along one of the lower mountains. A little marker popped up over it. "It's definitely coming from there."  
  
Julia nodded. She could already see the profile of what looked to be a cargo starship on the tarmac beside the building. "And there's the ship." Julia thought on it. "Starbuck, can you land us nearby? We'll be needing to take that ship."  
  
"Taking us in now. ETA five minutes." At Thrace's command, the Raptor changed its direction again, moving straight for Earth.  
  
"Maybe the _Tainaron_ could land and pick us up instead?" Angel was looking over it too. "Because taking the ship too is probably going to be harder."  
  
"I doubt Yvonne would agree to risking her vessel," said Lennier. "Especially as we already promised we would not need further help, simply transportation."  
  
"So it's a fight, probably against her entire team." Julia patted her hip, where her pulse pistol was holstered. "But we knew that coming in anyway."  
  
"Who do you plan to send into the building to get your friend out?" Kasszas kept his claws on his walking stick.  
  
Julia considered that, and the makeup of the foes they were facing. "Zaeed, you're in charge outside," she said, looking his way. "Meridina will be busy facing their dark life force guy…"  
  
" _Swevyra'kse_ ," Meridina said.  
  
Julia shook her head. "Sorry, but I'm not even going to bother trying to pronounce that. Meridina will take him on. Druni or Kass will be needed for the other one they've got. Zaeed will direct the rest of you while I go with Sydney into the base."  
  
Angel gave Julia an intent look. Julia didn't return it, especially when Angel didn't say anything.  
  
"Good plan, until it goes tits up anyway." Zaeed checked his sidearm pistol for a moment. "If we're takin' their ship, I'll need everyone. Our pilot too."  
  
"Can you secure the Raptor?"  
  
"I'll lock it down," Thrace said. "Just don't let it get wasted. Admiral Adama will have my ass." Nearby Anders secured his own sidearm and checked his ammunition. "And our ETA is now two minutes. We're entering atmosphere."  
  
The Raptor began to shake. Julia's heart picked up its beat and every muscle went tense. Everything that she'd been planning since the previous night was coming down to this.  
  
  
  
  
In the conference room, most eyes were still on the screen showing the cameras in the room where Jarod was kept. Parker looked that way as often as she could, but she was more concerned with checking the exits without alerting Raines and the others to what she was doing. A plan was forming in her head now that she knew it was only a matter of time before they were attacked.  
  
A cell phone rang. Raines' attendant handed him a phone, and he rasped, "Yes", into it.  
  
"What is it?", His Lordship asked.  
  
Raines listened for a moment. "I see." He turned his head to face his superior. "Air Traffic Control is picking up an aircraft entering our airspace from orbit. They will be landing within a minute."  
  
His Lordship turned and faced Parker. "They're not yours, are they?"  
  
"No," she said.  
  
Raines looked at her intently. Parker met the look, kept it, and inwardly cursed as she realized what that look meant.  
  
 _Raines knew_. He knew she had been expecting this attack.  
  
But he hadn't said anything. Why?  
  
A sick feeling came to Parker's stomach. But first she had to deal with the situation. She turned to Dralan. "You and Y'tala go out and help the others. If they only have one assault vehicle worth of troops, you should be able to deal with them."  
  
Dralan nodded. Y'tala pulled a particle pulse rifle from its place holstered on her back and smirked. They walked straight out.  
  
Parker activated her multidevice next, opening a link right to Wolff. "Raise your shields. Shoot them out of the sky."  
  
" _With pleasure._ "  
  
  
  
  
"Woh there!" Thrace jinked the Raptor to one side. A split second later a pulse of green energy whizzed by them. "We're under fire!"  
  
Anders looked to his screens. "It's that ship. It's got some kind of weapon mounted on it. And… I think it's raised shields."  
  
"It would appear to be a plasma cannon of Earth Alliance design," said Lennier.  
  
"Well, whatever it is, it'll blow us out of the sky. I'm changing our approach vector." Thrace began to maneuver the Raptor around. Another shot lashed out at them and barely missed.  
  
"Don't these things have shields now?", Angel demanded.  
  
"Shields for resisting Cylon raiders, Delgado, not cannons."  
  
"Well, this brings back unpleasant memories," Zaeed grumbled from the back.  
  
Druni looked up. "If you can get us close and remove the shields, I can deal with the cannon."  
  
"What?!", demanded Thrace. "How?"  
  
Meridina gave Druni a quizzical look. Druni smiled gently in response.  
  
"Anders, lock on the torpedoes," Thrace said.  
  
"I'm getting a firing solution now."  
  
Julia forced a calm expression that belied the fear and worry building up within her. Doubt came and was beaten back down by will. Everything she heard was that Kara Thrace was a hell of a pilot, one of the best, and so her life and the lives of her team were in Kara's hands. She would rely on the Colonial pilot to get them safely to the ground, that was it.  
  
The Raptor had several more shots come their way. Many were close. But none hit. The ground rushed up toward them on the cockpit window.  
  
As the squat facility in the middle of nowhere loomed large, so did the _Deadman's Hand_. It was a boxy shape, landing struts extended, and appeared to have an internal warp drive instead of a nacelle-based system. Although Julia couldn't see it, she knew that the ship was surrounded by an energy field that would fry them if they came too close.  
  
"Fox One!", Anders called out.  
  
The torpedoes dropped from the Raptor's hardpoints and flew forwrd, twin bolts of light from their mass effect drive fields. Within seconds they slammed into the the shields around the _Deadman's Hand_ , creating a massive burst of light and an explosion along one end of the ship.  
  
"That did it!", Anders shouted. "Their shield is down!"  
  
Druni stood and opened the hatch on the side, causing a roar of wind to drown almost everything else. She drew in a breath and put her hands together, index and middle fingers extended, in a focusing gesture.  
  
Julia felt the hairs on her neck start to prickle. Meridina actually gasped in surprise, sensing the shifting of energy, the way Druni was using her life force energy. Druni's wound her right arm around, as if dipping her fingers into an invisible pool in the air. Electricity started to crackle and spark at her finger tips as her arms moved in sequence. Meridina could feel Druni's power splitting the air, separating energies and creating an imbalance in forces, then allowing the tremendous discharge that was building to flow around her.  
  
In a quick movement Druni stabbed her right hand, and the fingers there, forward. Power erupted from her in the form of a great bolt of lightning.  
  
The release of energy struck the plasma cannon on the _Deadman's Hand_ directly. It couldn't resist the power Druni had channeled, exploding brilliantly.  
  
Julia could feel her jaw hanging in utter surprise at the act. Everyone was stunned and said nothing as Druni turned back to face them. "It is a difficult technique. We are not allowed to use it in the Silver Moon."  
  
"Lightning drawn from the power comes from darkness," Meridina insisted. "How can you risk…"  
  
"There is none," Druni insisted. "It is not the same." She saw Meridina's frown and lowered her eyes, as if she had expected this reaction.  
  
"Here we go!", shouted Thrace.  
  
Under her control the Raptor swung around and came to a landing beside the _Deadman's Hand_.  
  
Zaeed jumped out of the hatch first, a beaten up old M8 Avenger in his hands. The assault rifle opened up with a roar at the approach of the armed guards for the facility. Quick bursts of fire, expertly aimed, put them down by one one.  
  
The others jumped out quickly. There was no cover to be had in the tarmac all the way to the building, so their only hope was a direct attack on the armed men before they could shoot them all. Julia and Angel hit the ground firing, sending pulse pistol shots that made two more guards drop. Their suppressive fire, meager as it was, provided the extra time for Zaeed to eliminate the men with quick bursts from his rifle.  
  
A loud roar filled the air and made the three turn. Powerful arms lashed out and knocked Julia and Angel out of the way, one to each direction, with such force that Julia's pistol went flying from her grip. The big Krogan caught Zaeed as he tried to dodge out of the way, knocking him several feet away onto the tarmac.  
  
Krel unholstered a shotgun and aimed it toward Zaeed. Kasszas' tail whipped out and gripped the gun as it leveled toward the prone mercenary. The Zigonian flicked his tail away and ripped the weapon of the Krogan's hands. Krel growled and turned toward Kasszas, who held up his stick. Krel took out another gun, this one a large pistol, and began to fire it at Kasszas, who evaded with a series of spins and dodges, whirling his walking stick around and even deflecting several of the mass effect-propelled rounds.  
  
Sydney, a pulse pistol in hand, unloaded on another guard rounding the building. His shots missed at that range, but they made the guard take cover around the corner. He came up to the others and gripped Julia's arm. "We need to hurry!", he urged.  
  
"What's your hurry, old man?"  
  
The question didn't come early enough to give Sydney the time to dodge the punch that sent him flying. Wilton cocked a grin at him before turning his attention to where Julia and Angel were standing. Kang and Denna stepped up beside him. "Well well, looks like you ladies are in for a rough time," the fighter said.  
  
"Poor little kittens," Denna cooed, pulling a prod-like weapon from her belt and raising it.  
  
Wilton charged first, and Julia sprang to intercept him, blocking a punch and ducking a kick before throwing a palm strike that he batted away. He threw a punch at her stomach that nearly connected, causing a brief spasm of pain, but she followed it up with a snap kick to his weak side that caught him in the ribs.  
  
Denna charged forward, a sinister figure in her black combat leathers, and got Julia on the weak side as she evaded Wilton's strikes. The moment her weapon made contact with Julia's ribcage, white-hot agony surged through Julia's torso. She screamed and toppled, stunned by the sheer shock of the pain.  
  
Both of her attackers went flying, courtesy of Druni throwing out a wave of force. With the pain fading Julia was able to look up and see that Kang was now facing Lennier, the two adopting martial arts stances and waiting patiently for the other to strike first. Zaeed was still getting up and exchanging fire with what few Centre guards were left on the outside. The Krogan, Krel, was pursuing Kasszas with dogged determination, the blind Zigonian twisting and moving around his larger foe to evade his attacks. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thrace and Anders going up the cargo ramp for the _Deadman's Hand_ \- they would go after Wolff and secure the ship for everyone to escape on. Angel had gotten back up and was checking on Sydney, who was starting to move.  
  
She took all of this in, their relative positions, and considered what had to be done. This was mostly going with the plan.  
  
Mostly, that is, save for the fact that her position meant that Angel was the better choice to go after Jarod than Julia.  
  
"Angel," Julia said. "You go with him. I'm staying out here."  
  
Angel looked back. Her hazel eyes had that intense look they got whenever Angel's blood was up and her adrenaline was pumping. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes. Go!" Julia heard the footstep behind her and ducked and spun away, barely evading the high kick that Wilton had meant for the back of her skull. She turned and caught his next strike, he caught her counter-attack, and she moved her arm to take a blow to her forearm instead of her shoulder blade, the movement acting to deflect the energy of the blow so that it didn't actually cause as much damage. Wilton backed off for a moment. "You're good," she said to Wilton.  
  
"The best." Wilton smirked. He brought his fists up. "Now hold still, blondie, and maybe I won't mess up that pretty face so much."  
  
Julia smirked and assumed a defensive posture, arms leveled and her hands balled into fists. She awaited his attack and when it came she blocked and deflected and evaded several strikes until Wilton left his side open. She went for it, then immediately whipped about, evading the trap he'd set for her in doing that intentionally, and caught him by surprise with a kick to the jaw that made him twist and fall over. The falling movement continued, Wilton using its inertia to get back to his feet. A snarl now twisted his lips. "Well, you're not half bad," he admitted. "I'm going to enjoy this."  
  
Julia said nothing, resuming her defensive posture. The smirk appeared on her face again and she curled her palm inward, turning the back of her hand toward Wilton and curling her fingers in a "Come here" gesture.  
  
He took the invitation.  
  
  
  
  
Angel and Sydney were met by Meridina as they approached the door. "Where are you going?", Angel asked Meridina. "You should be helping the others."  
  
"I felt it more important to help you."  
  
"Why?", Angel asked.  
  
The door ahead of them opened. A man in a dark long-sleeved suit exited, a sword already in his hand. His oval-shaped face was immediately familiar to Angel. It was the Gersallian Parker had hired. "Oh," she said. "That's why."  
  
"Dralan Olati," Meridina said. She raised her _lakesh_ and extended it. "I cannot allow you to harm anyone else."  
  
"It's been a long time since I fought a slave of Swenya," Dralan said. "It'll be fun to kill another one of you sanctimonious drones." His golden eyes glittered with satisfaction. "Although you feel interesting. Is that.. _doubt_ I feel? Maybe a little darkness? My my, you're not a very good slave of that whore Swenya, are you?"  
  
"Insulting the Grand Foundress is a petty attempt to undermine my control, don't you think?", Meridina observed. She glanced over her shoulder at Angel. "Go around. I will hold…"  
  
The blow was meant to take Meridina's head off her shoulders. She saw it coming even as the intention formed in Dralan's mind and had her _lakesh_ in place to intercept the blow. The EM fields of their respective blades interacted and created a loud "whmmm!" sound in the air from the force of the impact.  
  
Dralan pulled his weapon back and brought his hand up. Crackling lightning erupted from it. Meridina intercepted it with her _lakesh_ blade. It snapped at her, as if the lightning could almost on its own will go around the EM field holding it in place.  
  
Finally the lightning stopped. "It was no petty insult," Dralan said. "You and the others are fed lies. You worship that bitch-tyrant Swenya when she ruined our people. She made them weak and soft."  
  
"She gave us purpose, she showed us the Light."  
  
"Light is weakness. It is tyranny. It enslaves souls." Dralan snarled. "And I will never be enslaved again!"  
  
He tried to choke her with his power, but Meridina resisted that. He switched a moment later and lunged with his _lakesh_. Their blades met yet again.  
  
  
  
  
While the fighting by the others raged on around them, Kang and Lennier remained a distance from each other after their brief exchange of attempted punches and grabs. Lennier's hands were in a ready self-defense gesture, ready should the other man make a move. "Hrm," Kang finally said. "I've never faced one of your kind before."  
  
Lennier said nothing in reply to that.  
  
An eager smirk finally came to Kang's face. "Not that it matters. You're just another alien to kill." His left hand reached to his back and retrieved the sword that had been fixed there. He held it out, swapping the handhold to hold it in reverse, pommel-up, and assumed a combat stance with the blade parallel to the ground.  
  
"If that is how you wish to proceed." Lennier pulled his _denn'bok_ out and triggered it to extend.  
  
Kang smirked and, with a confident air, charged at Lennier.  
  
  
  
  
Zaeed fired another burst from his battered old rifle, good old Jessie, felling another of the dark-suited security men with old chemical-propellant firearms. His breathing had picked up and his muscles burned. _I'm getting too God-amned old to run a fight like this. And no damn cover, too._  
  
It seemed he'd finished the last of them off, though, which was good because it meant he could focus on helping his team put down the mercs guarding the ship. He turned toward the fight and glowered at seeing Julia, not Angel, engaged in a hand-to-hand fight. _So she's still out here, eh? Who's going to be in charge? This is what I get for joining an op this rushed. I don't have time for this crap._ Zaeed brought Jessie up to fire when a sudden shot from the side knocked him over. His personal shield took most of the blast and saved his life.  
  
 _Stupid mistake, God-ammit it, lettin' someone shoot me from the flank._  
  
That someone, it turned out, was the "Mi'qote" woman on Parker's team, Y'tala. She was perched at a window facing his way, a particle rifle up and aimed at him. Zaeed swung Jessie over and fired, full auto, letting his old gun really push her heat capacity with enough suppressive fire to drive the cat-lady back into cover. He moved toward the window, firing all the way, until Jessie grew so hot that she was smoking. Finally her safety kicked in and Jessie stopped firing, going into cooldown.  
  
His quarry recognized her chance and popped back up, rifle raised. Zaeed was ready for her though, and he already had a grenade in mid-air when that gun popped back up. He threw himself to one side, knowing another hit would finish his personal shield and leave him dead, while reaching for his side-arm. He hefted the M-3 Predator and fired off several shots just as Y'tala was shooting at the grenade he tossed. A number of the shots struck her shield and degraded it, forcing her to take cover as the grenade went into the window.  
  
As the grenade went through the window, Y'tala came out of it. She hit the ground rolling and held up a phaser pistol. Amber fire washed over Zaeed's shield. His combat gear let off the tone he hadn't wanted to hear; his shield was completely drained now.  
  
But now Jessie was cooled down. He picked her up from where he had to drop her and fired, full-auto, at the Mi'qote woman. She jumped back to evade but it was too late for her personal shield, as enough rounds slammed into it that it flickered and dissolved.  
  
With no cover and his personal shield overloaded, Zaeed couldn't let her get another bead on him. He dashed forward and, as she stood, fired off another shot. She rolled away from it and pulled a gun. Now he went down, rolling and shooting, but rolling in the right direction.  
  
Y'tala took a gamble; she held her ground to try and get a shot in. But Zaeed, despite his age, was too quick for her to keep a bead on him in short-range. Her shot went wide.  
  
Zaeed twisted Jessie in his grip and brought the stock of the gun crashing into her face. Her nose broke with an audible crack, red blood gushing from it, and a single tooth went flying from her mouth.  
  
The move should have won Zaeed their brief battle. But it didn't; Y'tala's leg shot out and kicked him in the knee from the side. Zaeed's knee came out from under him, causing him to go down onto it. She went for her sidearm again as Zaeed went for his, and simultaneously they each brought a free hand up to grip the other's gun, leaving them locked in place, the loser unlikely to survive the result.  
  
  
  
  
Thrace and Anders held their guns ready as they continued on down the main corridor of the _Deadman's Hand_ , working toward the main bridge.  
  
They were barely a quarter of the way when Anders pulled Thrace into cover in one of the doorways, just before a sapphire pulse of energy went past where she had been.  
  
"Think you're hot shite to come after my ship, don't you?!", cried out Wolff, standing in cover near the bridge. "Come on if you think you're hard enough, nobody's taking my ship from me!"  
  
Thrace and Anders looked at each other. Being in a relationship and having fought side by side, they could read one another well enough to agree to a plan without any verbal communication. Thrace gestured and Anders nodded. He poked out slightly and went back into cover as fire came down on his position.  
  
Thrace slipped around the corner and returned fire, driving Wolff into cover. Anders dashed ahead, taking cover at the next door. Just as he got into the cover fire came back their way. Wolff could see the tactic they were using and was ready to take his chances to shoot one of them down.  
  
They would repeat the same, now Anders giving the cover fire while Thrace moved ahead, taking cover opposite from Anders to force Wolff to divide his fire. They exchanged looks that confirmed that each knew what this meant; this was going to take time. Time they might not have.  
  
  
  
  
Angel and Sydney made for the opposite end of the building. A fire exit door presented itself as an entry point. It was supposed to be one way, but with a couple shots from her pulse pistol Angel wrecked the door's closing mechanism and was able to kick it open.  
  
It was a stairwell, and they were on the top floor. "Okay, where do we go?", she asked Sydney.  
  
"We might be able to find whoever's in charge nearby. There's no telling how far down the facility is."  
  
"So this way, good.  
  
They went toward the door Just as Sydney started to go through the , the door opened and a man in a dark suit came out. The security man saw them and lifted his gun up.  
  
With Sydney partially in the way, Angel didn't have room to shoot without risking him. Her leg snapped up and caught him in the hand with a kick. She moved in a quick lunge, grabbing the man's gun hand and coming up with a kick that caught him in the throat, forcing him to wheeze and gag out of shock. She followed that with a punch and a throw toward the outer door, clearing him away. "Go, go!", she urged.  
  
Sydney kept going, as fast as his weary old legs could carry him, while Angel took up the rear.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jarod faces the Centre for the future of his family.

The air in the conference room was growing more tense by the moment. The Centre Triumvir, "His Lordship", was talking on the phone with someone and frowning. "Send them all… well, how many…" The normally debonair man in his fancy suit was now pacing. "Get more, we have the office in Redmond… yes, by chopper if you must, we need the backup." He turned the phone off. "Can your people stop them?", he asked Parker.  
  
"I hope so," she replied. She looked them over. If she was fast enough that she could shoot them before they sent an alert…  
  
There was a loud banging noise as the door was kicked violently open. Miss Parker turned to face the newcomers as well.  
  
Angel and Sydney entered the room, guns drawn.  
  
Raines' attendant drew his weapon and leveled it at Angel.  
  
Miss Parker reached for her pulse pistol, but didn't draw it yet.  
  
"Sydney," rasped Raines.  
  
"Mister Raines." Sydney covered him, among the others, with a gun. "Where's Jarod?"  
  
Raines quietly turned his eyes to a monitor, where they could see Jarod and Lyle, not to mention Jarod's family. "You clearly aren't as capable as Miss Parker warned," he said. "We'll have this compound reinforced within hours."  
  
"We'll be gone by then," Angel retorted. "You idiots should be praying thanks that our ship's on special assignment, otherwise we would have sicced a company of Marines on you by now."  
  
"You would be the young lady who penetrated Centre security last year." His Lordship took a seat. "I respect bravery and action like that. So let's discuss the matter and find an acceptable accord." He folded his hands and gave every appearance of being the amenable, ready-to-deal English aristocrat. "The Centre fed Jarod for three decades. Clothed him. Protected him. We have a vested interest in his work, you might say. Now, if we had compensation of some sort, I can see the Centre happily permitting Jarod to move on "  
  
"You're nothing more than slavers," Angel spat. "I saw what you did to Angelo. Your man Lyle was holding a little girl hostage. The reason I haven't shot any of you yet," and her eyes turned to Parker with venom, "is because all I care about is getting Jarod and his family out of here."  
  
"Young lady, you are not in the strongest bargaining position," Raines replied. "One of you will be shot if a fight breaks out. And with a single phone call, I can have Lyle kill Jarod's family, or even Jarod himself."  
  
"So what 'compensation' would the Triumvirate want?", Sydney asked.  
  
"Your technology. The chance for the Centre to lead the world into a new era of discovery and expansion." His Lordship put his hands together.  
  
"There are political considerations. Rules."  
  
"Of course. But these things… they are bent all the time, Doctor, as I'm sure you're aware. My colleagues and I have made our careers out of such things."  
  
"The Alliance will never deal with you," Angel swore.  
  
His Lordship sighed. "Young lady, I can only be so hospitable toward such… irrational hostility. Mister Raines is correct, your position is not the best. This is a time for negotiation, before more lives are lost. We can both benefit."  
  
The look on Sydney's face made it clear to Angel that he didn't trust them, but saw no harm in talking for the moment. Angel, however, was pondering if she could shoot the main behind Raines before he fired.  
  
Her eyes wandered onto the monitor screen. She could see the two people strapped to chairs - Jarod's family - quaking and crying out. Her anger stoked. She needed to find them, _now_ , and put an end to it.  
  
For the moment, however, the standoff continued.  
  
  
  
  
One floor below, Jarod was hard at work designing the necessary capacitor to use in a particle rifle, part of his "produce something" efforts to placate Lyle while he waited with baited patience to see if anything happened. Or, unfortunately, if his beacon had been found out.  
  
Lyle was agitated. And that meant Emily and Charles were suffering more shocks, as he played with the dial, as if their pain eased his frustrations. "Remember," he said, looking to Jarod, "if anyone outside of the Centre comes through that door, _they die_."  
  
Jarod actually felt relieved by that. He suspected Lyle was remaining in communication with his bosses, and if they had him that upset…  
  
 _You're here. Come on… please hurry._ He gave a nervous look to his suffering family. _Before it's too late._  
  
  
  
  
The fighting outside continued to rage. Krel was tearing up the tarmac with his gun in his attempts to shoot Kasszas. The slippery Zigonian, always moving away from where the gun was firing, was without a single blow driving Krel toward an outright blood rage.  
  
As Kasszas twisted away from another shot by Krel, he nearly crossed paths with Lennier and Kang. The Minbari's _denn'bok_ continued to clash with harsh metallic ringing whenever it deflected Kang's sword. Kang's attacks were well-aimed and precise, forcing Lennier to use all of his skill to stop them.  
  
A grunt of pain came from Julia. She'd just misjudged Wilton slightly and opened her side up to a punishing punch from the other martial-artist. She grimaced and blocked out the pain, letting him come at her again. He was getting cocky, arrogant, and she let him as she waited for the right opening. Occasional punches and snap kicks kept Wilton somewhat honest, but she remained on the defensive waiting for the best opening.  
  
Gunfire continued to sound from the corner of the field where Zaeed and Y'tala were locked into hand-to-hand combat, each trying to keep the other from getting a clear shot. Y'tala delivered a wicked kick that that left a bruise growing on Zaeed's face, and Zaeed returned the favor ten seconds later with a punch that may have cracked one of her collarbones. He grabbed at her arm and twisted her weapon away. Her hand shot out and took his wrist, twisting as well, and in the mutual movement Zaeed's Predator fell away.  
  
Now at a disadvantage, Zaeed pulled the combat knife from his belt. Y'tala went for it and he met her movement with one of his own, bringing his knee up and smashing it into her wrist with enough force to knock the phaser pistol from her hand. Y'tala hissed in frustration while her elbow shot in at his throat. The blow was strung, nearly crushing his windpipe, and the surge of pain and reflexive panic gave Y'tala the moment she needed to go for her weapon. With a burst of will the old mercenary forced the pain out and went after her. Just as Y'tala's hand started bringing the phaser over, he drove the knife into her leg, just above the knee. The limb buckled and she cried out, red blood oozing from the wound. His hand came up and took her wrist, twisting and twisting until she dropped her weapon. Her free hand came up and slashed across the right side of his face, along the scar and near his fake eye, leaving five bloody furrows in his flesh.  
  
A harsh laugh came from the other side of the battlefield. The dark-clad woman known as Denna continued to try to hit Druni with her blunt weapons, each promising a world of agony if it made contact with Druni in any way. Druni's _tenari_ swords met her blow for blow, stopping any such contact from impacting her. Occasionally Denna would mix it up, throwing a kick or a punch, that Druni would have to block as well. She launched counter-attacks of her own, resembling a whirling dynamo of sharp death once she hit her stride. Denna snarled as the tip of Druni's blade cut into her combat leather and took some of her skin off. She stabbed at Druni's ribs and barely made contact. Her weapon sent a wave of pain into Druni's body that nearly knocked her down. In desperation Druni's arm swept out and raw power forced the assassin away. Denna absorbed some of that with her own abilities, but it gave Druni a few feet of distance that gave her time to recover before Denna went at her again.  
  
On the _Deadman's Hand_ , Thrace and Anders were continuing to creep forward ever so slowly, having made it halfway now to the door where Wolff was trying to hold his ship under his own power. "I could use some help here," Wolff snarled into his comm.  
  
" _I'll be with you shortly_ ," Kang answered.  
  
Outside Kang was still locked into combat with Lennier. He'd swapped his hold on his sword to pommel-down, giving him better control for meeting Lennier's attacks with the _denn'bok_. He kept his blade moving with swift, precise attacks that Lennier met with his weapon, then backed off to avoid the counter-attacks that Lennier gave with the opposite end. A part of him was supremely annoyed at his opponent: Lennier had not one drop of sweat on him, as if this took no effort on his part at all. Kang snarled and unleashed a flurry of attacks, strong swings of his sword to try and push the Minbari off-balance. Lennier met the furious offense with a series of blocks, bringing the ends of his staff to deflect Kang no matter how fast his sword moved.  
  
With his energy ebbing for the moment, Kang backed off, holding his sword level and ready to meet an attack from Lennier. Lennier moved his _denn'bok_ into a similar defensive position. "You are quite strong," Lennier noted.  
  
Kang said nothing, letting his frustration and anger stew, waiting for an opening.  
  
  
  
  
Nearer to the building, there was more clanging of metal and EM fields in the fight between Meridina and Dralan. She could feel Dralan's rage and hatred, his sheer loathing of her and everything she believed in, and it made Meridina's resolve harden.  
  
"That darkness is part of you," Dralan said. "You should embrace it. It has the power to give you anything you want."  
  
"I am sworn to the Code," she replied. "That is what I want."  
  
Dralan snarled and tried to lash out with his power, a wave of energy to throw her back. Meridina met it with her own and resisted the strike. He followed it up with a series of cuts with his _lakesh_. She dodged and parried them, keeping her sword moving and letting her instincts, the conduit for her life force, guide her arms to reflect his attacks.  
  
"The Light is weakness, it is tyranny!", Dralan shouted as he battered away at Meridina, forcing her back and away from the others.  
  
Meridina let him. She would maneuver back when it was time, but for now she needed to get distance between Dralan and the others. With a _swevyra'kse_ , there was no telling what they would or wouldn't do to get at their foes, and she didn't want the others falling to him.  
  
The question was whether she could hold him back long enough to wear him down or get an opening. The darkness was a terrifying force in its corruption, certainly, but the dark feelings that fueled it granted tremendous power, power like Meridina had rarely seen. Amaunet, in control of her, hadn't been this powerful as she could not fully command Meridina's life energies. Dralan could command his own, immersed in darkness as it was, and did so.  
  
Ultimately, her goal was to buy time. Time for Angel to get Jarod, time for the others to prevail in their battle, and she had to trust they would not be too late.  
  
  
  
  
The stand-off in the conference room had everyone remaining in place. Angel felt the sweat gathering on her forehead as she kept her pulse pistol leveled toward Raines' attendant, who had his gun on Sydney. If she pulled the trigger and didn't get the shot right, Sydney would be shot in turn. Would she be able to stop Raines or the British man in the suit from ordering Jarod and his family to be killed?  
  
Was she willing to risk that?  
  
It got to the point where she almost was. But in the end, it wasn't Angel who broke the stalemate.  
  
Angel was worried about the timing, but so was Parker. Moreso, as her only hope for escape with her father was the _Deadman's Hand_ , and her ear receiver was picking up Wolff's calls for help as he faced attackers moving on his bridge. If they didn't hurry, they'd lose control of the ship.  
  
And so it was Parker who took the gamble. She leveled her pulse pistol and fired.  
  
The shot hit Raines' man square in the head. A moment later Angel's gun fired as well, mostly from reflex, and it hit the man's hand. He fired a half-second later.  
  
Sydney cried out as the bullet struck, grazing his neck. A spurt of blood followed its course across his flesh. He dropped his gun from shock and reached up to the wound.  
  
Parker was already in motion. Angel nearly moved to stop her, but went to Sydney first. He waved her off. "It's not as bad as it looks," he insisted.  
  
Angel scanned it. "It grazed you. You'll need medical attention."  
  
"We have to get Jarod first!", Sydney insisted. He pulled his bloody hand from his neck and reached for his gun with the other hand. He held the gun, one-handed, toward Raines just as Raines was reaching for his phone. "Don't!"  
  
Angel stepped up and ripped the phone from the wheelchair-bound man's grasp. "That won't do you any good," Raines said. "I'm supposed to remain in contact with Lyle. I haven't been, and he knows something is wrong."  
  
"Then where is he?"  
  
"Why should I tell you?", Raines asked.  
  
"Because if you don't…" Angel put her pulse pistol up against Raines' shoulder. Her thumb set the power level to a non-stun setting, but not powerful enough to kill. "...I'll starting shooting the crap out of you."  
  
"Oh. Torture." Raines smirked. "You don't have it in…"  
  
Angel pulled the trigger.  
  
A cry of pain erupted from Raines' damaged lungs. He sucked in air after it, as if by itself he had almost lost all the breath in his body.  
  
"Angela," Sydney began.  
  
"Your elbow's next, you sick old bastard!", Angel shouted. " _Where is he?!_ "  
  
Raines' nostrils flared. A snarl came to his face.  
  
"Angel, this isn't necessary," Sydney insisted.  
  
The fury burning inside Angel didn't want to heed that. These bastards had attacked Jarod and his family. Jarod, who was effectively a member of _her_ family too. And they wanted to act smug about it? She was going to wipe the smug smiles off their damned faces, and anything else necessary to get Jarod back.  
  
Sydney, meanwhile, was reaching for the multidevice he had picked up. "Look," he said. "I can check the monitor's signal, I think this will let me track where he is."  
  
Angel narrowed her eyes at Raines before looking to Sydney. "If you think it will work."  
  
"Yes, I'm…"  
  
Before he could finish, the suited man dashed for the door. They turned and Angel fired at him, but the shot was a half-inch off and he got out unscathed. "Dammit!", Angel cursed. She ran after him, leaving Sydney with Raines.  
  
"You… look well," Raines said.  
  
"And you look terrible," Sydney answered.  
  
"It's not quite like old times, is it?" Raines smirked. "Tell me, Sydney. How much of this is guilt? You profited from Jarod as much as we did."  
  
"I know," Sydney said. "And I'll take that guilt with me to my deathbed." He turned his head and eyed Raines. "How much guilt will you carry, Raines?"  
  
"Guilt is overrated," was the rasped reply.  
  
  
  
  
Miss Parker went for the stairs. Her destination was not the first level but the second, where secure rooms were kept. Only a single guard stood in her way, and she shot him down before he could react to her arrival at the bottom of the stairwell. _Sloppy. I suppose all of the competent ones went upstairs._  
  
Her multidevice displayed the location of her father as straight ahead. She ran past the empty rooms, storage compartments, and to a single gray door. She grabbed the handle and pulled it open. The inside was the comfortable room she'd seen her father in. Ahead of her, as if in a hotel room, was a dresser drawer set, on which sat a television and a camera assembly.  
  
After she stepped in, a terrible smell hit her, the smell of human waste. As if the toilet hadn't been flushed. She took the final steps in to clear the corner and look to the bed…  
  
...where her father laid, arms at his side.  
  
There was a hole in his forehead. He'd been dead for a while.  
  
For a moment denial surged strongly. She'd seen him alive just minutes ago, on the video screen. This couldn't be…  
  
She looked to the camera again and saw it, the recording device the camera was hooked into. Seeing it, that was when Parker knew she'd been tricked.  
  
The pain was almost overwhelming. "Daddy," she said, her voice hoarse with horror, rage, and guilt. She stepped up beside the bed and leaned over her father's corpse. His eyes stared back at her, empty. Miss Parker's lip quivered as she tried to close his eyes. They wouldn't close; rigor mortis had set in.  
  
Miss Parker started to weep. She couldn't help it. Everything, every deal she'd made, every thing she'd sacrificed, had been for _nothing_. They'd killed her father… why? To punish her, even though she'd brought Jarod as she'd promised?  
  
She almost couldn't breathe. The pain was starting to suffocate. They'd killed her father. The Centre had _murdered him_. They'd tricked her _and she fell for it_.  
  
The pain gave way to rage. She stormed back out of the room, just as footsteps started to come from the stairs. She made her way there, gun raised, and looked up to see His Lordship rushing down the stairs. " _You killed him!_ ," she screamed in rage.  
  
He looked at her. Bewildered surprise came to his expression. "What?", he asked. "Wait…"  
  
" _You murdered my father, you bastard!_ "  
  
"No, I…"  
  
She didn't hear what he started to say. She didn't care. Her finger pulled the trigger. Again and again. Energy pulses of white-blue fury slammed repeatedly into his torso and neck. His death cry was drowned out by the barrage.  
  
With her face twisted into fury, Miss Parker ventured toward the stairs. She got up the first one, gun raised, when Angel appeared on the next flight, her weapon lowered toward Parker. Angel's eyes narrowed at her. She glanced toward His Lordship's corpse and back to Parker. "Your father's dead?", she asked.  
  
Parker glared up her way. "I'm going to kill Lyle," she said. "And Raines. And every other sonofabitch in the Centre." There was no smirk, no emotion, when she met Angel eye-to-eye. "Unless you want to settle this now? You're here to kill me, after all."  
  
Angel frowned at that. It was true... Mostly. She _was_ planning on killing Miss Parker.  
  
Nevertheless, she raised the gun a little. "That can wait," she said. "Jarod's more important."  
  
Parker nodded. "First subbasement. I'll show you."  
  
  
  
  
The dawn light was shining on the combatants outside of the building. Wilton and Julia exchanged punches, Kang and Lennier's duel had carried them toward the building, while Druni was forcing back Denna and Kasszas continued to fluster the Krogan.  
  
"We're runnin' out of time, God-ammit!", Zaeed shouted, locked in ferocious combat with Y'tala. She bit at his neck, sinking her pointed teeth into his old Blue Suns tattoo. Zaeed growled in pain and brought his left arm up to elbow her across the face. Some of his flesh went with her and blood covered that side of his neck. "Bitch!"  
  
Y'tala spun away from him. Zaeed lunged and grabbed on just as she started to pull the phaser pistol up. Without his weapons at hand, she had the advantage, and Y'tala knew it. She brought the phaser up and nearly had it pointed at him when he got a hand on her wrist. The maneuver cost him leverage though, giving Y'tala the advantage and allowing her to shift her weight and pin him for the moment, keeping his other arm out of the way and his legs trapped. She nearly had the phaser on him, and her thumb had already set it to high. A single shot and he'd be gone. "No hard feelin's," she gasped, her voice distorted by the broken nose. The phaser drew centimeters closer, in a moment the emitter would be on him and it'd be over. "It's business."  
  
A moment before she could fire, Zaeed's head shot up and slammed into her face. Her broken nose broke further. The shock of the impact caused Y'tala's head to snap back.  
  
It also disrupted her balance. Now Zaeed could put his superior body mass to use, forcing her off of her position. His hands both gripped at the hand with the phaser and ripped it free. A look of fear crossed her green feline eyes as she felt the emitter come up against her stomach, and Zaeed knew that fear. He'd seen it a thousand times before, the fear he saw in his nightmares and in his dreams, the fear he hoped to see one day in the eyes of Vido Santiago.  
  
He pulled the trigger.  
  
There was a whine from the weapon he was gripping. Y'tala had no time to scream as amber energy consumed her body, every inch of it, until there was nothing left.  
  
"No hard feelings," Zaeed said, his breath hoarse. "It's business."  
  
It seemed like the right thing to say.  
  
Zaeed went over and picked up his Predator, his knife, and most importantly, Jessie. His shitty old rifle was intact and looked fine. He brought it up and sought out a target.  
  
Before he could fire on the assassin in the catsuit, a solid "whomp whomp whomp" came to his ears. Zaeed turned and faced the source; helicopters coming up over the mountains. "Company," he growled. They were running out of time.  
  
He put Jessie up. For this, he needed the other weapon on his back. The Mantis sniper rifle extended to full length by the time he brought it up. He crouched down to a knee and raised it toward the lead of the incoming helicopters. The crosshairs lined up on the pilot. Wordlessly, Zaeed pulled the trigger.  
  
The shot wasn't quite on, though, as he wasn't in the optimal firing position. Instead of a headshot, the bullet went low. Granted, he could still watch with satisfaction as blood erupted from the throat of the pilot, who reached for his savaged throat and was clearly gagging. The helicopter began to spin wildly out of control, nearly hitting the others.  
  
The other pilots weren't idiots. They began to maneuver more wildly as they approached, throwing off his aim. Zaeed put the rifle back and pulled out Jessie again. He turned back to the fight. "Put them down, dammit!" He watched the Krogan, Krel, nearly catch Kasszas in a charge. The Zigonian whirled away, his tail whipping across Krel's face and snapping it in one direction like it was a slap.  
  
Krel roared furiously and looked away. Not toward Kasszas, but toward Zaeed again. And Zaeed knew he was in trouble. The Krogan's eyes said everything; Krel was entering a blood rage. Even with his gun gone, that would make him the most dangerous foe on the tarmac. Zaeed began to pour fire into him with Jessie, but the Avenger didn't have nearly enough stopping power for a Krogan in the middle of a blood rage.  
  
Zaeed jumped clear and rolled over to a crouch. As he did so, Kasszas jumped behind him and landed on the Krogan's head. His clawed feet raked over Krel's face and left eye, which came free in a geyser of blood. Krel didn't seem to note the pain. His hand came up and grabbed at the Zigonian, who jumped free.  
  
Except Krel got lucky. His flailing hand caught Kasszas' tail and gripped it. Kasszas let out an involuntary hiss and, from the shock, dropped his walking stick onto the ground. An angry roar came from Krel as he pulled Kasszas back by the tail and threw him.  
  
Right into Zaeed.  
  
The impact knocked the air out of the mercenary's lungs. "Dammit," he wheezed. He looked at Krel, now preparing to stomp them.  
  
Druni had sensed her comrades' danger. She waited for Denna to make a lunge and, instead of cutting at her, slid to the side and then brought her foot up in a kick to Denna's throat. The assassin gasped in shock and fell over for the moment. Druni had a second with which to kill or incapacitate her, but that second would mean Krel getting to Zaeed and Kasszas. So she turned away and ran up, jumping up and landing on the Krogan's back. She drove her _tenari_ blades into his neck and head, again and again, but the tough Krogan hide deflected the blows. Blood was everywhere, but she wasn't hitting anything critical.  
  
What she was doing was keeping Krel from finishing her allies off. He stumbled to the side, roaring in rage, and his arms flailed upward trying to reach at her. Druni jumped off and landed on the tarmac, blades held out and dripping with Krogan blood.  
  
"Go for the headplate, girl!", Zaeed shouted. He was nearly out from under Kasszas, who was still recovering his bearings. "There's a spot near the front plate, get your blade in there and you can pry the bastard's head half off!"  
  
Druni almost asked where, but she didn't need to. She could sense where Zaeed was thinking of. She nodded to him and returned her attention to the Krogan, now charging for her. Instead of jumping clear she ducked low, gathering her energy in with her. She released it as Krel was nearly on top of her, enough kinetic force drawn from her Gift to cause even a blood-raged Krogan to stagger. With that, she had her opening, and she used it to drive her blades into the spot. She jumped upward and pulled.  
  
The response was horrific. There was a terrible sucking noise, joined by a shrill scream from Krel as the top part of his head peeled up and off, leaving bloody inner flesh. Even in his blood rage Krel felt the full force of this loss. Druni could feel his pain, a pain so savage that she knew she had but one option left.  
  
She drove her blades into his head.  
  
The blow was fatal, instantly so, with the armor plate no longer protecting his skull and brain. Krel fell over and Druni skipped clear of him as he did.  
  
Denna struck. The assassin came in, both of her weapons forward, and pushed them both to Druni's back. The pain consumed Druni's conscious thoughts. A shrill scream expelled all of the air from her lungs.  
  
"Exquisite," the assassin cooed. "The pain is so…"  
  
Kasszas' tail whipped out and wrapped around Denna's wrists. With a yank that helped bring him to his feet, he pulled her back from Druni, who toppled to the ground, barely conscious and utterly paralyzed. Denna kicked out with her leg and sent out a wave of force that knocked the Zigonian backward, forcing him to let go of her wrists. Now the Zigonian and the assassin stood facing each other. "I've always wondered how much pain one of your kind can take," Denna said. "Although I imagine your brains are so addled by the drugs you inhale, it might not be the same."  
  
"I know your kind," Kasszas said. "You, who twist the gifts of Creation to selfish ends."  
  
"If you're talking about the Ministry of Fate, I don't particularly care for them either. It's so much more fun being on my own." Denna brought her weapons up. "Let's see how these agiels work on you, reptile."  
  
Kasszas extended a hand. His walking stick flew to it like metal to a magnet. The stick swept in and blocked her first blow. Her follow-up swing went high, and he deftly moved away from it.  
  
Zaeed pulled up Jessie just as the helicopters began to land. He opened fire on the nearest one, claiming a man with an assault rifle just before he could jump down. Quick bursts of fire from Jessie, deadly and accurate, brought down another, while the others remained in cover on their chopper.  
  
Zaeed reached down and jostled Druni. "Get up!", he insisted. "I can't cover you, dammit! Get up!"  
  
  
  
  
The twin martial arts fights - Julia versus Wilton and Lennier versus Kang - were still raging near the ship. The two combats were drawing closer and closer as metal continued to meet metal and blows were being dodged and parried.  
  
Julia was feeling the duration of the fight, but she was certain Wilton was too. His style was aggressive, forceful, and her reliance on _t'ai chi_ had balanced that, letting him expend his energies against her defense. She could sense he had some idea what she was doing, but evidently her combat style was not one he was familiar with (although he had the same advantage; she wasn't sure if he was using kung fu, karate, or savate, or some weird mish-mash of them all.  
  
It was a _mok'bara_ move that really gained her the advantage, though, or rather tying one that Worf had shown her with her other style. Finally, Wilton had extended himself, a powerful punch that Julia's relative slowing had made too tempting to pass up. She had to admit that a half second separated her from a blow that might have turned the battle against her, but it would instead work the other way, as in one fluid movement she grabbed the outstretched arm and pulled it with her. She kept turning, throwing Wilton off his balance, and twisted around until she was at his back and his arm was locked painfully behind his back. Wilton screamed in pain and anger.  
  
It became more pain when Julia finished her move by breaking his wrist.  
  
With that surge of pain taking fight out of him, Julia wrapped her arms around his throat and took him into a sleeper hold. Her legs came up and wrapped around his arms to pin them in place, his lack of balance and her weight driving him belly-down to the ground. He wheezed, gasped, and started to go silent as the lack of oxygen sent him into unconsciousness.  
  
Julia could hold on longer, guaranteeing he went unconscious, or until he was dead. But killing wasn't something she thought of doing when it wasn't necessary, especially not with the martial arts skilled she valued as a discipline. She let go and pulled herself away from Wilton. Her eyes quickly found her lost pulse pistol, and she went for it.  
  
Kang moved with the speed of a snake lunging at its foe. One moment he had been driving Lennier back, the next he was twisting around and getting into a position that would have taken Julia's head off clean. At the last moment she spun away. The weapon didn't cut across her neck, but it did slice along her belly, cutting away the cloth of her shirt and undershirt and nicking a bit of her jacket as well. Blood flew along with the blade, just as it began pouring down the wound in her belly and side.  
  
It brought back memories. She'd been wounded there by a blade before. Over a year ago, when the Jem'Hadar had boarded the _Aurora_. She briefly remembered nearly bleeding out.  
  
There was no time to worry about that, though.  
  
While she fell in the wrong direction to go for her pistol, she'd also kept Kang from killing her immediately as he'd intended. He turned back to Lennier just before the Minbari's _denn'bok_ could find his head, parrying the blow and nearly getting Lennier's entire arm with a blow at the shoulder that barely missed.  
  
With Kang's attention diverted again, Julia forced herself back up, ignoring the pain and wet blood from her wound, and got to her pistol again. She swung it over at Kang and fired a wild shot.  
  
It didn't hit him directly, but it did graze his leg. The leg buckled under him and he dropped to a knee. Lennier's _denn'bok_ struck him across the face, knocking two teeth out in a spurt of blood that came from Kang's mouth. He went spinning over and landed on the ground, belly-first. As he tried to stand, Julia shot him in the back with her pistol, putting him down for good.  
  
Lennier turned his attention to Julia. "Are you alright?" His eyes focused on the blood pouring from Julia's side.  
  
"I'll live," she said. She looked back at the fighting. Zaeed was desperately trying to keep the arriving Centre reinforcements suppressed. Druni was beside him, still prone on the ground. "Do what you can for her," she said. "I'm going to help Starbuck and Anders."  
  
"Of course."  
  
They split up.  
  
  
  
  
Trust only went so far, and so Angel kept her pistol ready while following Parker into the first subbasement level.  
  
Sydney's voice came over her multidevice, " _The Centre has reinforcements landing by helicopter. We're almost out of time._ "  
  
"Parker's taking me to Jarod," Angel said.  
  
" _I'm tracking you and I'll be with you shortly._ "  
  
"What about Raines?", Angel asked.  
  
" _I just shot the spokes of his wheelchair. He's not going anywhere._ "  
  
"Good," Parker said. "I know where to find him."  
  
Angel didn't answer that. She understood what Parker was going to do, and she didn't care for the moment.  
  
The door they were looking for wasn't hard to spot, with the electronic security lock and the heavy steel construction. Angel brought up her multidevice and had it scan the lock, then access it. The system was purely dawn of 21st Century in sophistication, nothing to even her tactical-standard multidevice. It quickly cracked the security and undid the lock.  
  
  
  
  
Lyle and Jarod looked to the door when it opened. The appearance of Miss Parker was a surprise, and not pleasant for Jarod.  
  
He would have reason to reconsider that later.  
  
That reason, of course, was that it gave Lyle a half-second of pause before he realized what was happening and went for the dial. Just as his fingers wrapped around it to twist, Parker's gun fired. The pulse shot slammed into his chest, right on the sternum, and he fell back.  
  
Parker turned and elbowed one of the guards. The door opened wide enough for Angel to come in, and she caught the second guard across the face with a punch that sent him down.  
  
Seeing Angel made Jarod's day. He grinned with relief at her. "There you are."  
  
"Jarod!" Angel looked down to where his foot was chained to the chair. She knelt down and pressed the pulse pistol to the chain. A single shot delivered enough energy to break the chain in two.  
  
Jarod went immediately to Charles and Emily. His first act was to disconnect the device, ensuring there was no chance of an electrical shock. By that time Angel was already freeing Emily's wrists. Jarod went to work on his father's bindings.  
  
"Your friends came," Charles said weakly, grinning.  
  
"They did."  
  
"So your Dad's English?" Angel started removing the wrist shackles while Emily pulled off the wires that had been tormenting her.  
  
"His name is Charles. My sister is Emily." Jarod motioned to Angel. "This is Angel Delgado, she works with me."  
  
"And who's the lady…" Emily stopped.  
  
Jarod and Angel looked to the door.  
  
Parker was gone.  
  
Jarod quickly put it together. "They killed her father, didn't they?"  
  
"Yeah," Angel said. "It's why she's still breathing. She brought me to you."  
  
"Where are the others?" Jarod looked to the door. "Shouldn't you have a Marine team?"  
  
"Nope." Angel shook her head. The last of Emily's electrodes were off and she was pulling off the last on her father. "The _Aurora_ was called away on a time sensitive mission. Angel, Meridina, and I were left behind because we were incommunicado hunting for Parker's trail. We had to put together a team of allies. They're outside fighting off Parker's people right now."  
  
"How are we going to get off-world?"  
  
"We brought a Raptor, and we're stealing Parker's ride. Now let's…"  
  
The door swung open and Sydney entered. "Jarod?", he asked. "Jarod, are you…"  
  
"I'm here," Jarod answered.  
  
Sydney wasted no time in embracing Jarod, who accepted it.  
  
" _Andreys to Delgado_ ," a voice said over the multi-device. " _Please come in._ "  
  
Angela tapped her multidevice. "Julia? I'm here."  
  
" _Have you gotten to Jarod?_ "  
  
"He's here." Angel nodded. "I got to him and to his family."  
  
" _Then get out of there. They've got reinforcements coming, and we're still trying to take that ship._ "  
  
"Major Charles." Sydney looked over Jarod's father. "Allow me." He took Charles by the arm and hefted him on his shoulder.  
  
Jarod did the same with his sister. Angel pulled her gun and led the way for them.  
  
  
  
  
Julia had to take cover when she spotted the corridor to the _Deadman's Hand_ bridge. Wolff was firing at where Thrace was in cover. She and Anders were at the last set of doors before the bridge, a quarter of the way down the hall. But they could go no further with so much remaining space, giving Wolff time to poke out of cover. "Starbuck! Anders!" Julia grimaced. Her side still hurt from where that Chinese cyborg had cut her. Blood was soaking into her pants leg. _I need stitches, soon._ "I'll add to your cover fire."  
  
"Any of you gits come any closer, you die, get it?!", Wolff shouted.  
  
"Wolff, I've got two life force-wielders, maybe three, behind me," Julia retorted. "We're taking that bridge. Your choice is whether you surrender or we have to shoot you."  
  
"I'm not goin' back to the cells, you hear me?! You'll get my ship _over my dead body_."  
  
"Suits me," Thrace retorted. She looked down the corridor to Julia, who nodded. She made a hand gesture in acceptance, and another one, presumably to Anders.  
  
Anders' gun began to bark. As it did, Julia stepped into the corridor and got onto one knee. She raised her pistol up, both hands level, and sighted the gun on the doorway while Thrace approached it, gun at the ready.  
  
Right before Thrace got beside the door, Wolff popped out, his gun raised and ready to shoot the Colonial pilot.  
  
Julia fired first.  
  
Her accuracy wasn't bad. She trained for it, even if she rarely used it, and some of the edge from her days in the Facility was still there. The shot, meant for Wolff's chest, was a little high. But it got his throat, and that was a shot she'd take.  
  
Thrace made it to the bridge. Julia saw her kick at something, presumably Wolff's gun, and there was a shout of "Clear!"  
  
Julia got back to her feet and walked up to the bridge. The pain in her side felt like it was growing worse. The wound was being aggravated by her constant movement and fighting. _I'll get it checked, soon. But I've got to finish this first._  
  
She entered the bridge, where Thrace was securing Wolff's body. Her eyes moved over the bloody wound on Julia's left side. "Damn, Commander. We'd better get you bandaged."  
  
"We will when we're out of here." Julia pulled herself into the pilot seat. The controls weren't ones she normally used, but they were familiar enough. She started to run the pre-flight protocols, primarily systems checks. "Looks like Wolff didn't lock down his systems. He wanted to be able to leave in a hurry."  
  
"So do we." Thrace stood up and looked to Anders. "The cargo bay looks just big enough for the Raptor. I'll fly her in now."  
  
Julia nodded. "Go."  
  
"Anders, stay with her," Thrace ordered. He nodded in agreement.  
  
"If you can find something to bandage me with, I'd love to stop bleeding everywhere,' Julia remarked, the drollness in her voice evident.  
  
Anders went to work on that.  
  
  
  
With Lennier's help, Zaeed got Druni back to the safety of a building corner. From there he could direct fire on the men coming from the choppers, trying to keep them suppressed.  
  
Druni was starting to stir. "Urh."  
  
"We need you on your feet, girl," Zaeed insisted. "Come along, get up."  
  
"Where did that pain come from?", Druni asked.  
  
"I believe your foe attacked you from behind."  
  
"I've never felt so much raw pain before," Druni said. She looked back to the ship. "Look, they've done it."  
  
Everyone could turn and see that Thrace was coming down the cargo ramp and making for her ship.  
  
"But we have yet to get the ones we came for…"  
  
"We need to buy 'em time." Zaeed looked Druni over. "Think you can help me deal with those choppers? I can give you some cover if you can blast 'em out with that lightning."  
  
"I'll need several seconds."  
  
"You'll get 'em." Zaeed held up Jessie. "Ready?"  
  
"I will go to assist Commander Andreys with her injuries," Lennier said to them. "As the Humans I've known would say, 'Good luck'."  
  
Zaeed nodded.  
  
When he rolled out of the corner to one knee - thus providing a smaller target - there were at least a dozen security men advancing, all armed with the same kind of rifles. Zaeed popped off a burst that claimed one, then another burst that took the legs out from another. The rest of them scattered and went prone, looking to avoid getting shot and to then shoot back.  
  
Behind him Druni was already at work. She reached into the energy in the air with her gift, with the warm energy she had long felt within herself. Her arms wheeled around, splitting the energy in the air as they went, creating more and more of an imbalance between the latent positive and negative energies that existed around her.. She did so quickly, with less care than she normally managed, because she had only a second or two before she would be hit by gunfire.  
  
She thrust her right hand forward just as one of the gunmen turned his weapon toward her. The charges she'd split crashed back together, following the channel her power laid for it. The resulting bolt of lightning shot through the air, crackling outward as it did and shocking at least two of the gunmen.  
  
But the main bolt hit home: one of the helicopters, just as it was going to take off. The electricity blasted through the frame of the craft, warping and breaking it.  
  
It also found the fuel tank.  
  
A split second later, the helicopter exploded in a massive fireball that knocked down most of the remaining Centre gunmen. Some, hit by shrapnel, didn't get back up.  
  
More importantly, flaming debris started hitting the third and last of the choppers, and it started to back away even with two more gunmen inside.  
  
Zaeed followed up the attack with quick and deadly bursts from his rifle. Jessie's rounds hit home, and the attacking reinforcements were no longer a problem. "That's a God-amned impressive trick," he said, turning to Druni.  
  
She was frowning, though. "Not everyone sees it that way," she said. "Knowing how to do this, and being willing to use it, cost me everyone I ever cared about."  
  
"Their loss," Zaeed answered. "You ever want to go into merc work, I can set you up. You'll be a rich woman in months."  
  
Druni didn't answer that.  
  
Before she could act further, the door facing the _Deadman's Hand_ opened. Angel came out and held the door open, allowing Jarod and Sydney to carry Major Charles and Emily out of the building. Emily was starting to walk more on her own power, but it was clear Charles was having trouble. "Take him," Emily insisted.  
  
Jarod nodded. He took Charles' other arm to bring his dad to safety.  
  
"Alright, let's get to the God-amned ship," Zaeed growled. "I'm not doin' this for creds, so no billin' by the hour."  
  
Angel nodded. Druni pulled her _tenari_ back out. "I'll catch up with you," she said. "I'm going to help Kasszas."  
  
"After we get them to the ship," Zaeed said. "He's handlin' himself." Zaeed tilted his head toward the fight in question.  
  
  
  
  
Kasszas' stick effortlessly batted away another jab by Denna with one of her weapons, with a twist of the stick knocking the other hand and weapon away from him. He spun around and smacked her with his tail, sending her rolling over the tarmac until she came to a crouch. A vicious snarl crossed her face.  
  
"Strange how I am the blind one, but it is you who has not landed a blow," Kasszas remarked, keeping his staff level.  
  
"Was that a _taunt_ ," Denna challenged.  
  
"I thought that rather obvious." Kasszas brought his stick to a vertical position and held it. "Perhaps I should stand still for a moment and make the fight fair for you?"  
  
The frustrated growl that left Denna's thrown caused the rapid hissing that amounted for a chuckle from her reptilian opponent. "Your attempts to provoke me are not humorous and not at all working!"  
  
"But you see, I am not just trying to provoke you. I'm seeing you for what you really are, dark one." Kasszas' tail swished quietly behind him. The dawn light was now bringing some color to his light yellow and gray robes, but his dull eyes remained still and unmoving. "A spoiled child living only for transitory pleasures. No higher cause, no greater being, nothing but the moment for you, with the darkness in your heart the only way to fill the emptiness inside." Kasszas' reptilian voice took on a stronger, more hostile tone. "And I see those you have harmed. Your delight in torment and pain, all feeble efforts to fill that void. I should despise you, but I can't help but pity you."  
  
"Pity?" Denna snarled. " _Pity?! Pity is nothing! I don't need it! You can have the pity for what I'm going to do to you, you miserable lizard!_ " Denna gathered her strength and reached forward. Lightning crackled at her fingertips and lashed out at Kasszas.  
  
But Kasszas was no longer there. The lightning struck the trees far behind him, setting them ablaze.  
  
Kasszas moved with the grace of a predator. In seconds he crossed the distance from where he had been to where Denna was realizing her strike missed. His stick was a blur in her vision before it slammed into her forehead. The force knocked her unconscious immediately and she was sent flying, going through the air for several feet until she hit the ground, rolled, and came to a stop. Blood started to pool from her head from the force of the blow he'd struck  
  
Kasszas lowered his head at the sight. "I am of Creation, and Creation is within me," he hissed, and then, with a sad sound, he turned away to rejoin the others.  
  
  
  
At this same time, Meridina and Dralan were still off in their side of the property, near the barbed wire fence, continuing their duel. Meridina was meeting her foe blow for blow, giving ground but no openings. She could feel his rage and anger being stoked by frustration. He wanted her dead, as painfully as possible, and by not giving him that his frustration was becoming all-consuming.  
  
Among those things being consumed was his control. Meridina watched his strikes lose their focus. The _lakesh_ in his hands continued to batter at her blade, but as if it were a club and not a blade in of itself. His eyes remained locked onto her. His lips seemed to be permanently twisted into a snarl. This state gave him more power, but it cost him something more dear than power; it cost him control of the fight.  
  
Meridina was in control, but it didn't mean she could win whenever she wanted. It meant she was in a position to dictate its pace if she acted accordingly. She opened herself up fully to the power around her, allowing her life force to sense everything and guide her thoughts to the solution.  
  
"The things I'll do to you, whore of Swenya," Dralan roared. "The ways I'll make you scream, you slave of the Light!"  
  
"A slave?" Meridina deflected another blow and parried a second. She gathered her strength and used it to stop his power when Dralan threw it at her wildly, attempting to knock her over. "Look at yourself, Dralan. You are a slave yourself. A slave to the darkness festering inside you."  
  
"The dark is my strength!", Dralan shouted.  
  
"It is your master," Meridina retorted. She took a step back while he continued to tremble with fury, giving herself maneuvering room. "It has enslaved you completely and totally. You have no will beyond it."  
  
"I _need_ no will with the darkness!"  
  
And with that, Dralan took a step back and then lunged forward.  
  
Meridina moved swiftly. She spun on her left foot, moving away and then toward Dralan just as his blade entered the space she had occupied. Her _lakesh_ swung out with her, guided by both hands, and accompanying her spin until it found its target.  
  
The blade passed cleanly through Dralan Olati's neck.  
  
Head and body, no longer joined, toppled onto the ground. Meridina retracted her _lakesh_ and summoned his blade to her hand with her power. She looked over his remains with contemplation, a little sorrow…  
  
...and disgust. Disgust, which came a second later, because in that first second one emotion surged up from a terrible place inside her.  
  
 _Joy_.  
  
She had felt _joy_ , immense and gleeful satisfaction, or the taking of a life. At felling a dangerous foe who sought to kill her and people she cared for.  
  
She secured her hilt to her waist belt and put the hand to her mouth in horror. How could she let such a dark thought come through?  
  
The realization was a feeling that she was still tainted, and her doubts and fears resurfaced. If she had felt like this around others, they would see her as a _swevyra'kse_ in the making. Her judgement would be swift and complete, and it would humiliate everyone she cared for.  
  
Her multidevice chimed. Julia's voice came through it. " _The ship's ready. And I've got more helicopters on sensors and approaching vehicles. We need to go._ "  
  
After a moment, Angel said, " _We're on our way. Don't bother waiting for Miss Parker, she's not coming._ "  
  
" _Angel, did you…_ "  
  
" _She didn't, Commander_." The voice was Jarod's. " _Miss Parker has unfinished business with the Centre. It's all she has left. And she saved my family's life._  
  
" _I see. Get on board, then, and watch out for Starbuck, she's going to be bringing the Raptor in._ " After a moment Julia added, " _Meridina? Are your receiving_?"  
  
Meridina drew in a breath and looked back at Dralan's body. She considered his _lakesh_ , the design on the hilt and the iconography engraved on it. The characters looked Gersallian, but she didn't recognize them precisely.  
  
She pocketed it before tapping her own multidevice. "I am coming." And she turned, heart still heavy, to walk toward the commandeered smuggler's ship.  
  
  
  
  
On the bridge of the ship, Lennier was checking over the secondary console. "The engines are ready," he said. "This vessel's anti-matter fuel is running low, but it should be sufficient for us to return to New Liberty."  
  
"Yeah." Julia checked her life sensors. "It looks like everyone's aboard. I'm going to fire the thrusters." She turned her head and noticed Lennier staring at her. "Yes?"  
  
"I believe you should let someone else pilot this vessel," he said. "You are wounded and need medical attention."  
  
"I know," she replied. "But we've got to lift off now." She pressed a key. The ship lurched under them slightly and began to lift off. She grimaced and glanced down at her wound. It wasn't bleeding as profusely, but her clothes would have to go straight into the replicator for re-processing. There would be no getting those bloodstains out.  
  
Once they reached the appropriate height Julia increased power to thrusters. She swapped to impulse drives as they reached the upper atmosphere, putting in a course to leave Earth's orbital space as quickly as possible. _No cloaking device, just this emissions stealth. Dammit, there's no way the locals haven't seen us. Although I doubt they missed the ship landing too. Admiral Maran is going to be really irritated._  
  
Once she was sure they were home free, Julia hit a button that was labeled for the ship intercom. "I need a ship pilot up here, I'd like to get patched up before I bleed out."  
  
"Commander, I am getting a signal from the _Tainaron_."  
  
Julia nodded at Lennier. "Put them on."  
  
Yvonne's voice came over. " _I see you made it._ "  
  
"Complete success," Julia said.  
  
" _Are you okay? You sound like you've been hurt._ "  
  
"I had a cyborg try to cut my head off. I was lucky and only had him slice me below the ribs." Julia smirked. "I'll live."  
  
" _Ah. Well, that's good. My best to you, Commander. Despite everything, it was a pleasure to meet you. Please do remember what I said, should the Alliance hold this against you._ "  
  
Julia responded with a diplomatic "I'll keep that in mind. Andreys out."  
  
By the time she finished saying so, the door to the bridge opened. Angel stepped in. She looked over Angel and shook her head. "So much for leave. You go off, get in a kung fu fight, and get yourself nearly sliced in half by a cyborg ninja or something."  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
"Well, Starbuck said something about flying big bricks, Anders doesn't know a damn thing, and Druni is busy helping Jarod and Meridina tend to the wounded, i.e. _you_." Angel walked up to the piloting chair and gestured toward the door. "So I'm going to take over as ship's pilot. You go get that treated. I don't want to be the one to tell Robert that you bled out from being a stubborn jackass."  
  
Julia sighed and chuckled. "Well, I'd hate to make you do that…" She got up, still favoring her wounded side, and walked to the back of the bridge. "Do we have any prisoners to watch? Besides Wilton?"  
  
Angel shook her head. "No. Parker stayed behind, and aside from Wilton her team was dead."  
  
"Right." Julia nodded and walked out.  
  
Angel sighed and shook her head before taking the chair Julia had vacated. She looked over the console with something of a quizzical expression. "Okay, let's see…"  
  
"Perhaps I should…?"  
  
Angel turned her head and glowered at Lennier. "I know how to pilot a ship, okay? We all learned it."  
  
"Ah. Well, if you insist," Lennier said. "Please do ensure our course will not involve our vessel plowing into something at warp speed."  
  
Angel narrowed her eyes at the Minbari. "Are you trying to be funny?"  
  
Lennier kept a plain look on his face. "Of course not. I'm sure you are aware that Minbari do not generally have a sense of humor."  
  
"Because that sounded like you were razzing me about my ship piloting."  
  
"I would never call attention to any alleged lack of competence on your part."  
  
Now Angel was certain the Minbari was enjoying a laugh at her expense. "You know I can kick your ass, right?"  
  
"I'm quite sure you are capable of kicking me on the backside."  
  
With a look of comic exasperation on her face, Angel turned and directed her attention to plotting their course. The stolen ship jumped to warp a moment later.  
  
  
  
  
The woman who called herself Yvonne stepped into her office. She reached out and hit a key. A circular holo-display built into the wall activated. Hernan de Corelo appeared on it. " _So, they did it?_ "  
  
"They did," Yvonne replied. She smiled at him. "Thank you for your assistance in this matter, Mister Corelo."  
  
" _You're welcome, Miss Lawson_ ," was Hernan's reply. " _I trust your superior will consider my offer?_ "  
  
Miranda Lawson nodded. "Cerberus is in need of contacts in this bright new Multiverse that your people have linked us to. You'll hear from us again, Mister Corelo." She terminated the connection. The Illusive Man would indeed be pleased with the success of the operation, and of the opportunities it had presented.  
  
With a press of a key on her desk Miranda activated her intercom. The _Tainaron_ had other places to be, after all, and there was more work to do, always more work to do, to protect and improve Humanity.  
  
  
  
  
Mister Raines watched sullenly as the smuggler starship lifted off, carrying Jarod and the Centre's leverage against him with it. The Centre had nothing to show for the operation now, nothing but dead sweepers, lost vehicles, and damage to the facility.  
  
"Hello Raines."  
  
Mister Raines turned the one functioning wheel on his wheelchair, allowing him to spin around and face Miss Parker. She held her gun toward him. "Ah." He put his hands together on his lap. "This is about your father, of course?"  
  
"Why?", Parker demanded. "Why did you kill him? _I gave you Jarod!_ "  
  
"And yet you hid from us the knowledge that his friends were coming," Raines pointed out coolly. He smirked. "I know you have lived in a futuristic space age society for some time, so I suppose you forgot about directional microphones." He cackled at the look on her face. "Yes. We overheard your little conversation with your friend Kang. So I made the decision to put your father out of our misery. I decided His Lordship didn't need to know. After all, Mister Lyle was happy to do the deed."  
  
"I'm glad I shot the son of a bitch dead, then."  
  
"Did you?", Raines asked.  
  
Parker frowned at that, and she followed Raines' eyes to the monitor on the screen showing the room Jarod had been confined in.  
  
Lyle was gone.  
  
That moment was when pain shot through Parker. She felt the pressure in her back, the pain within her, and only then noticed the metal blade sticking out of her belly. A sucking sound accompanied the blade's disappearance. With her strength failing she tilted over and propped herself up against the conference room table. This let her turn and face her attacker. "Y… you?", she asked in confusion. "Why?"  
  
Kang was flicking the blood on his sword off. He looked down at her, his eyes obscured by his visor, and a slight grin crossed his face. "I couldn't let you kill Mister Raines. We have business to discuss."  
  
Pain and fury crossed her face. "But I… we…"  
  
"You've served your usefulness, Miss Parker."  
  
"What are…."  
  
Before she could finish, Kang slugged her in the jaw with enough force to break it, let alone knock her unconscious. She fell with a thump, blood still pouring from the deadly wound.  
  
"She might have proven useful," Raines remarked. "Although I do not mind her being dead."  
  
"You'd be surprised how much use a dead person can be." Kang put his sword up.  
  
"And this business you've mentioned?"  
  
Kang responded by pulling a device out of one of his pouches. A mass effect field generated around it, holding it in mid-air while a graphic displayed a bar filling up from 0% to 100% with the caption "Establishing Link".  
  
When it hit 100% the proper communication channels were opened. Data surged through the ether between universes and the domain of subspace, forming into a real-time and life-size image seated just five feet in front of Raines. Raines looked at the man in the chair, noting the cigarette burning in between his fingers and the look of his business suit.  
  
But what Raines noticed most were his eyes, his unnatural, mechanical-looking blue eyes.  
  
" _Hello, Mister Raines._ " The figure set his cigarette down. " _Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Illusive Man. I believe you've already met my operative, Kai Leng?_ "  
  
The man who had called himself Kang nodded slightly.  
  
"I'm listening," Raines said.  
  
" _I've been aware of your organization for some time, Mister Raines,_ " the Illusive Man continued. " _I represent an organization called Cerberus. I believe that the Centre and Cerberus can be of great benefit to each other._ "  
  
Raines narrowed his eyes. "I find that hard to believe given our… technological limitations."  
  
" _Technology isn't the only thing Cerberus looks for in picking partners, Mister Raines,_ " the Illusive Man said. " _The Centre has its own advantages. Your people can provide us with manpower, and most importantly, due to the state of your native Earth you could provide a certain degree of obscurity for special projects. And we are prepared to reward the Centre handsomely for its partnership._ "  
  
There was silence in the conference room for several seconds. Raines thought the issue through. And what it meant for him if this went somewhere.  
  
A small smile crossed the sickly man's face. "I believe I can say that we would be interested in your offer, Illusive Man," Raines rasped. "Very interested…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jarod faces the Centre for the future of his family.

**Tag**  
  
  
The ship was still several hours out from New Liberty's counterpart in A4P5. Julia, exhausted and tired, was napping away in one of the quarters. A door chime drew her attention. Having stripped her bloodied clothes off, Julia had to settle for a shirt stolen from the captain's things that, due to Wolff's smaller height and other differences, only went down to the end of her ribcage. This meant the bloody bandage over her wound was visible.  
  
When she got to the door, she found herself facing Zaeed. "Mister Massani?", she asked. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"Just checkin' in on you. Wanted to see how well you were healin'. I don't get to meet tough as nails lady Commanders every day."  
  
"Well, I'm glad I could fill that void for you," she replied. "I've already written up a quick report for Admiral Maran. I made sure to note your contributions and my recommendation that the Alliance Defense Command give you a contract for the war. I'll share it with Admiral Maran as soon as we return to the _Aurora_."  
  
"That's what I was hopin' to hear. You wouldn't like how I deal with broken contracts."  
  
"Yeah, I can imagine that. Anything else I can do for you?"  
  
"Nothin'. I'm goin' to take some Zs now. Best if I take the last room, ever since I broke my nose my snorin' can wake up a hungover Salarian."  
  
"Rest well, Mister Massani."  
  
  
  
  
In the rear cargo bay, Meridina was staring at the _lakesh_ she recovered from Dralan. The characters engraved on the hilt intrigued her. But she would have to consult with databases before she could figure out if they were some form of Gersallian writing or not.  
  
"Meridina."  
  
She looked up as Kasszas and Druni sat across from her. "I can sense your turmoil from across the ship," the Zigonian said. "What troubles you?"  
  
"I killed a man."  
  
"So did we," Druni said. "I killed several. It's not supposed to be easy, but it feels like this deeply effects you. You've never killed before?"  
  
"No. I have." Meridina couldn't keep the shame from her face. "But this is the first time I felt joy in the act."  
  
Druni nodded. "I see. Yes, I can understand that."  
  
"The darkness within me… it lingers. Why? Why can't I purge myself of it, why can't I rid myself of Amaunet's taint?"  
  
"Darkness comes from many sources, dear Sister," Kasszas said. "Perhaps you must look inward to see where this comes from, to truly understand it, and thus to deal with it."  
  
"If I can't beat this darkness, I cannot be a _swevyra'se_ any longer," Meridina said. "And I would have nothing."  
  
"That may be where you are going wrong. Darkness is best dealt with by understanding, not suppression."  
  
"My order does not feel that way."  
  
"Nor did mine," Druni added.  
  
"I see." Kasszas nodded. "And I know others who feel the same. And perhaps their ways are the best for you. I can only wish you well, Meridina, and that you find the harmony within that you seek. Should you wish it, my brothers in the Harmonious Val-Drellim will aid you in this purpose. You need only ask."  
  
Meridina let a small smile come to her face. "My thanks, Kasszas." She looked to them. "What shall you do when we return to New Liberty?"  
  
"I will do as always, and follow where Creation leads," Kasszas said.  
  
Druni nodded. "I'm not sure. I really like New Liberty, but I imagine I'll move on before long." She glanced toward Kasszas. "Perhaps I'll visit Kasszas' universe and his homeworld. I'm not sure if Lennier will go too, but we're not technically traveling together, and I've no idea what he intends to do in the long-term."  
  
"You would be welcome. Although, perhaps, you should also be careful. The ways of the Harmonies of Tsorra-Mahl can be difficult for other species to understand, or to deal with."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind." Druni looked to Meridina. "And you? I've never heard of a _swevyra'se_ holding military rank before. Are you going to stay with your ship?"  
  
"I am," Meridina replied. "I have people who count on me. It is for their sake that I must deal with this darkness within me."  
  
"Then I look forward to seeing you again in the future. May the Eternal Goddess forever cast her light upon your path, both of you."  
  
"May Creation keep us on our intended paths," Kasszas replied. "And may they cross again."  
  
Meridina smiled gently at them both. " _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_ , Kasszas, Druni."  
  
  
  
  
Julia and Angel met in the center hall and went to the bridge. Lennier was still sitting at the support station, watching over the ship's systems, and it made Julia wonder if the Minbari ever had to sleep.  
  
Jarod was piloting the ship now, and doing so in the company of his family. Charles and Emily had found clothing in Wolff's belongings to make use of and, given their ordeal, looked rather well. Meridina's healing abilities had apparently helped them greatly, just as they'd helped to reduce the depth of the cut in Julia's side.  
  
"I'm still not sure… I mean, look at this," Emily said. "I feel like I'm in a dream."  
  
"I felt the same way last year." Sydney was sitting at an auxiliary station in the corner. "It's hard to believe all of this is possible. But you'll get used to it."  
  
"Over time, it even starts to get a little mundane," Angel remarked. She leaned against the door to the bridge with her arms crossed. "And I still sometimes can't imagine how we started all of this."  
  
Charles nodded and looked to them. "I want to thank you for taking care of Jarod," he said. "All of you." He looked toward Sydney.  
  
Sydney lowered his eyes. "I don't think I deserve your thanks, Charles. I was complicit in the Centre's crimes."  
  
"And you've made up for them," Charles insisted. He turned his head back to Julia and Angel. "And you two. Commander, Lieutenant…"  
  
"We don't have to stand on ranks here." Julia smiled at him. "I'm Julia and she's Angel."  
  
"Well then, Julia, Angel." Charles smiled and nodded. "Thank you both very much, not just for saving us, but for giving Jarod a home. For being his family when we couldn't be with him."  
  
Julia nodded. She accepted the hug that the older man gave her. "We were lucky to have him." She looked past to where Jarod was looking over his instruments. There were tears in his eyes.  
  
"Family's important for all of us," Angel added, accepting the hug. Emily gave them hugs too. "And that goes for you two as well."  
  
"Thank you," Emily said. She breathed in a sigh. "Well… I guess I'm going to have to find something to do when we get to this colony of yours. Or do you have reporters in your space age civilization?"  
  
"Oh yes," Julia said, nodding and grinning. "We've got reporters."  
  
"There are two newspapers in New Liberty Colony that do live broadcasts over the planetary data net," Sydney remarked. "I'm friends with an editor of the _Herald_ , I could get you an interview within a week or so."  
  
"Well, at least I'll be doing what I love," Emily remarked.  
  
"And I'll find something as well," Charles said. "It's going to be strange, though. I'm going to have to get used to not being on the run."  
  
"I can tell you that it's a great feeling," Jarod said. He turned in his chair and faced them. His expression was thoughtful. "Dad, about Mom…"  
  
"She's safe," Charles said. "I made sure of that. The Centre can't find her."  
  
"I'd still like to find her and bring her with us," Jarod said. "We can't bring back Kyle, but…" He stopped and lowered his eyes in thought. "I don't want to have her go through what you did. I don't want to abandon her."  
  
"You haven't. We haven't," Charles insisted. "And when we get the chance, we'll go back for her. But don't worry, son, she's completely safe where she is."  
  
"I can talk with President Morgan and Admiral Maran and try to see if they can get an exception made," Julia said. "Assuming I'm not court-martialed over this."  
  
Angel rolled her eyes. "The mission succeeded, we brought Jarod back safe and sound, and we even recovered the ship Miss Parker took to A4P5 Earth so there's no risk of the technology falling into the wrong hands. So tell me, worry wart, why would they court-martial you?"  
  
Julia leveled a look at Angel. Before she could speak on the matter, a tone came from Jarod's console. He turned back. "We're arriving at Harvest. Taking us out of warp."  
  
The cargo ship dropped out of warp near the planet Harvest, the A4P5 version of New Liberty's planet. "There's a couple of ships in orbit." Jarod looked to Lennier.  
  
Lennier was already activating the communications system. "I'm requesting a jump point to H1E4, set for New Liberty." After a moment he nodded. The interuniversal transport _Van Sickle_ is preparing to open one for us. They state that the _Aurora_ is already waiting for you on the other end."  
  
"Send them our thanks," Julia requested, and Lennier did so.  
  
"We're really going to change what _universe_ we're in," Emily stated, almost questioned, with clear wonder and disbelief in her voice.  
  
"Yes, we are," Jarod said. "And then you'll get to see our ship."  
  
Ahead of them the jump point opened, an emerald vortex in the void of space. Jarod accelerated the _Deadman's Hand_ and entered the point. There was that customary tremor through the ship as it made the jump and transitioned between universes. On the other side they got an immediate view of New Liberty, where night had fallen on the main colony and turned it into a small collection of bright light on the surface. "Welcome to your new home, Dad, Emily," Jarod said.  
  
Julia was enjoying the looks on their faces as Jarod turned the ship. "And there she is," Jarod began, "our ship, the _Star…_ "  
  
Jarod stopped, as if stunned into silence. Bewildered looks appeared on the faces of Charles, Emily, and even Sydney.  
  
Confused, Julia turned to face the bridge window.  
  
The sight she saw wiped the grin off her face.  
  
"Mother of God…", gasped Angel.  
  
The _Aurora_ hung in space before them, as they had expected.  
  
Her great azure hull was covered, simply covered, in blackened and charred hull armor, with the scoring of weapons impacts having obliterated parts of the green and white stripes along her starboard side. Her deflector dish, a circle of brilliant blue and gold, was charred by battle damage. Wispy clouds of plasma were still seeping from both of the starboard warp nacelles, which flickered from power failures. A great, massive gouge had been ripped from the lower primary hull, now covered in replicated armor patching.  
  
Nearby, equally visible, was the _Koenig_ , blackened and battered, a visible hole toward the rear of the ship not far from the engineering spaces.  
  
Julia finally found her voice. "What the hell…?", she asked.  
  
For the moment, nobody was answering.


End file.
